Yesterday, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing the Department of Justice to investigate online political fundraising platforms, most notably ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s primary small-dollar donation tool. The order alleges that the platforms may have facilitated “straw donor” schemes—where donors funnel money through intermediaries to get around contribution limits—and singled out ActBlue for allegedly processing illegal foreign contributions. The order instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi to report back on the matter within 180 days.
Though Trump framed the order as an election integrity issue, it appears to be an escalation in Trump’s efforts to disrupt Democratic infrastructure ahead of the midterms and the next presidential election. The order comes amid broader concerns about the politicization of federal law enforcement and executive power under Trump, who has repeatedly used the Justice Department to target his perceived enemies and protect his allies.
ActBlue, a political action committee that operates as a conduit for processing donations, has raised billions for Democratic candidates and aligned organizations. In 2024, the platform reportedly processed $3.8 billion, compared to $1.8 billion through WinRed, the Republican equivalent. This online fundraising gap represents one of the few financial advantages that Democrats currently hold over Republicans—and it could be the reason Trump is launching this investigation. The Democratic Party certainly sees it that way. “Donald Trump’s memorandum targeting ActBlue is designed to undermine democratic participation,” the chairs of the DNC, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Democratic Governors Association wrote in a joint statement.
