John Solomon
The chairman of the three powerful home committees on Thursday threatened to issue calls after several current and former officials of the democratic platform of the online Fund ActBlue Fund refused to testify to the poll for possible foreign and fraudulent political donations, in accordance with the correspondence obtained by obtaining by obtaining by obtaining by Only a message.
Chairman of the judiciary of the house Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the supervision of the house James Comer, R-Ky. And the chairman of the home administration Bryan Steil, R-Wis., Revealed in letters that several witnesses initially agreed to voluntary, prescribed interviews, and then withdrew from their lawyer this month after that month after that President Donald Trump signed the order Instrumenting the Department of Justice about examining the platform.
“As we explained, committees examine the allegations that ActBlue, a leading political organization of funds, allowed evil actors, including foreign actors, to use the company’s online platform to transfer dishonest political donations,” wrote the chairman of the list to witnesses that were sent to a lawyer representing them, Danny Onorato.
“Fulfillic political donations Corrupt American choices can mean inter -state proceedings,” also state lists.
The letters were presented with the testimony of flip -flops for each witness, including the former director of Actblue, Peter Slutsky.
“On April 21, Mr. Onoorato pointed out that you agreed to appear on a voluntary prescribed conversation and started the planning process of your appearance. However, on May 7, Mr. Oneorato informed the committee that you changed the course, and now he will not appear on a voluntary transcribed interview,” said the chairman.
“He cited the submitted investigation into executive departments regarding” unlawful exploit of online funds for obtaining funds in order to bring “straw” or “mannequin” or foreign contributions for political candidates and committees “as the basis for your refusal to cooperate voluntary with committees”, “,” letter He also states to Slutsky and Onorato.
A similar language was used for almost all witnesses who got letters, which said the witnesses that the ongoing survey was not a reasonable excuse for refusing to testify at the congress.
“The proper precedent is clear that the very existence of state or federal investigations in the field of law enforcement agencies does not affect the authority of the congress supervision,” the legislators wrote. “Therefore, investigative investigation in matters related to supervision by committees is not a reasonable basis on which you can reject our request.”
Letters demanded from each schedule of interview witnesses no later than May 29 or a risk in the face of a call to call.
“If necessary, committees are ready to resort to a compulsory trial in order to obtain compliance with our conclusions,” warned the legislator.
Committees have I studied Aktblue on loose security measures And whether these loans in security allowed foreign entities to transfer American political campaigns, which is illegal.
In October, Steil and Senator Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican colleague, wrote to the secretary of the treasury Janet Yellen, director of the FBI Christopher Wray and director of the National Intelligence Avril Haines about the fears that four opponents of the US could pass through the platform.
“We write to you to collect urgent concern about potential illegal financing of elections by foreign entities,” legislators wrote Yellen in a letter from Thursday. “Char studied the claims that foreign actors, primarily from Iran, Russia, Venezuela and China, can use ActBlue to laundering illegal money in political campaigns in the USA.”
They also said: “Our investigation indicated that actors could use existing American donors by making donations without their knowledge.”
Legislators specially demanded access to everyone Suspicious activity reports (SARS) related to the transfer of money by the platform for obtaining funds generated by each American financial institution as part of their actions that counteract money laundering. Congress has passed through these SARS in recent days after gaining access to them under the Trump administration.
Actblue admitted to Congress that he had it updated the principle of verification of the donor Automatic rejection of donations that “use foreign gift/gift cards, national gift cards, come from high risk/sanctioned countries and have the highest risk level according to the established” by their supplier of Sift solutions.
The amendment took place only three days after Steil introduced the Act on the secure service of electronic donations (shield), September 6, 2024, to ensure that foreign money remained beyond obtaining online political funds. Before the change, said Steil, donations transferred to foreign gift cards were not automatically rejected by Actblue before the change, Only a message Reported.
Actblue has repeatedly denied any offenses and says that there is fully cooperation with ongoing investigations.
“Democratic and progressive campaigns have trusted twenty years of achieving innovations and reliability Actblue, which are to provide during large moments of obtaining funds,” company company he said in a statement In June 2024, celebrating the 20th anniversary in business.
According to internal documents of the Company checked by committees during the campaign cycle in 2024, ActBlue has issued up-to-date standards encouraging employees to “search for reasons to accept contributions.” Before changing the rules, the platform already did not require CVV numbers In the case of credit card transactions, the risk of fraud.
The company’s internal assessment has determined that the change of policy led to “from 14 to 28 additional fraudulent contributions each month”, committees say.
The documents also show that the platform began to monitor potential fraudulent donations from several foreign sources, including hundreds of donations from Brazil, Colombia, India, Iraq, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia and other countries.
Legislators and Trump asked the state to examine ActBlue for possible criminal proceedings.
“Federal law (52 USC 30121 and 30122), she severely prohibits the political contribution in the name of another person, as well as contributions of foreigners,” wrote Trump in a note last month asking for a state. “Regardless of these provisions designed to protect American democracy, press reports and investigations by congress committees generated extremely disturbing evidence that the online platforms for obtaining funds are willing participants in the field of washing excessive and prohibited contribution for political candidates and committees.”
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John Solomon is an award -winning investigator journalist, author and entrepreneur of digital media, who is the general director and the editor of the boss only. Before establishing only messages, Solomon played key roles of reports and executive in some of the most significant American journalistic institutions, such as Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Newsweek, The Daily Beast and The Hill.
Photo “Rep James Comer and Jim Jordan” Chamber’s supervision committee.
