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Category: Election Integrity
June 13, 2025
Election Integrity
Lawfare

Obama Judge Halts Trump’s Election Integrity Order.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: A federal judge in Atlanta, Georgia, blocked President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order on election reforms, deeming it unconstitutional.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, Democrat state attorneys general, and U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper.

📍 Where & When: The ruling was issued on Friday, June 13, 2025, following Trump’s March 25 executive order.

💬 Key Quote: The Democrat attorneys general had argued the order “usurps the States’ constitutional power and seeks to amend election law by fiat.”

⚠️ Impact: The ruling halts Trump’s proposed changes, including requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and limiting mail-in ballot acceptance.

IN FULL:

A federal judge on Friday blocked an Executive Order issued by President Donald J. Trump aimed at reforming election procedures, siding with a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general who argued the directive exceeded presidential authority. The Executive Order, signed on March 25, sought to implement significant changes to federal election processes. These included requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration in federal elections, limiting acceptance of mail-in ballots to those received by Election Day, and tying federal election grants to state compliance with the new ballot deadline.

“The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper wrote in the ruling. Responding to the Trump administration’s argument that proof of citizenship requirements were a “commonsense” requirement, Casper—appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama—contended, “there is no dispute (nor could there be) that U.S. citizenship is required to vote in federal elections and the federal voter registration forms require attestation of citizenship.”

Judge Casper’s decision halts the implementation of the order, leaving the proposed election changes in limbo. Notably, Casper determined that it is likely the Democratic attorneys general will ultimately succeed in their challenge to Trump’s Executive Order, prompting her to issue the preliminary injunction.

The National Pulse reported in April that, in a separate ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly blocked the citizenship provision in Trump’s Executive Order, while leaving two other components of the presidential directive intact. These include a provision for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State to provide the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with data to aid it in identifying noncitizens currently on voting rolls. The other measure instructs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to initiate legal action against state governments that ignore a Trump administration requirement that mail-in ballots be received before or on election day to be counted.

Image by Chris Phan.

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June 11, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Election Integrity

Texas Accuses Dozens of Noncitizens of Voting in 2024 Election.

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❓What Happened: Texas has referred dozens of noncitizens for prosecution, alleging they voted illegally in the 2024 presidential elections.

👥 Who’s Involved: Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 33 noncitizens.

📍 Where & When: Secretary of State Nelson announced the referrals on June 5.

💬 Key Quote: “Texas continues to monitor voter rolls. Whenever we find noncitizen voters we refer them for criminal investigation. To be clear, only legal citizens can vote.” — Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott.

⚠️ Impact: The referrals come thanks to President Donald J. Trump’s administration giving Texas access to a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) database, which former President Joe Biden refused.

IN FULL:

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson has said that at least 33 noncitizens voted in last year’s presidential election, and they have been referred to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office. Should the noncitizens be found to have voted illegally, they could face serious penalties, including prison for voter fraud.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott commented on the issue on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Texas continues to monitor voter rolls. Whenever we find noncitizen voters we refer them for criminal investigation. To be clear, only legal citizens can vote.”

The move comes after Texas officials were granted the ability to look at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s (USCIS) Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Database. Secretary Nelson labelled access to SAVE, “a game-changer.”

States were granted access by President Donald J. Trump earlier this year through an executive order after former President Joe Biden had refused to let them access it last year. Governor Abbott has also worked to strengthen election integrity in Texas by signing a bill last month that will allow Texans to add citizenship requirements for voting to the Texas constitution.

Last year, Texas dropped over a million ineligible voters from its voter rolls, thousands of whom were illegal aliens, alongside hundreds of thousands of dead people.

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China Spying
June 2, 2025
Election Integrity

Foreign Student Charged With Illegal Voting Flees to China.

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❓What Happened: A Chinese student at the University of Michigan fled to China after being charged with illegally voting in the 2024 U.S. election.

👥 Who’s Involved: Haoxiang Gao, a foreign national student, and U.S. federal prosecutors.

📍 Where & When: The incident occurred in Michigan in October 2024, with Gao fleeing the U.S. in January 2025 and the criminal complaint against him unsealed on May 30, 2025.

⚠️ Impact: Gao faces federal charges for fleeing prosecution, but his return is unlikely due to the lack of a U.S.-China extradition treaty.

IN FULL:

A Chinese student at the University of Michigan has fled to China after being charged with illegal voting in the 2024 election, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Haoxiang Gao, a foreign national attending the university, reportedly turned himself in last October after allegedly registering to vote and casting a ballot in Michigan’s general election. Gao was charged with two felonies: false swearing to register to vote and attempting to vote as an unqualified elector.

Court records reveal that during his arraignment, Gao was ordered to surrender his Chinese passport and remain within the state. The passport he turned over had a serial number ending in “1332.” Gao later failed to appear for scheduled court hearings on March 6 and April 24. Last Friday, federal prosecutors disclosed that Gao boarded a Delta flight from Detroit International Airport to Shanghai, China, on January 19, using a different Chinese passport with a serial number ending in “7137.”

The FBI has since charged Gao federally with flight to avoid prosecution. However, the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with China, complicating efforts to bring him back to face justice.

The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding election integrity and the challenges of prosecuting foreign nationals who violate U.S. election laws. The National Pulse has reported extensively on incidents of noncitizens illegally casting ballots in U.S. elections, with data suggesting the number of noncitizen voters is statistically significant.

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June 2, 2025
Corruption
Election Integrity

Far-Left Democrat Maxine Waters Fined for Illegal Campaign Contributions.

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❓What Happened: Representative Maxine Waters’ 2020 congressional campaign was fined $68,000 for multiple violations of federal campaign finance laws.

👥 Who’s Involved: Maxine Waters (D-CA), Citizens for Waters campaign committee, the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and attorney Leilani Beaver.

📍 Where & When: Violations occurred during the Democrat’s 2020 reelection bid; FEC investigation findings were published as part of the Conciliation and Settlement Agreements released on May 30, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: Waters’ attorney claimed, “The errors were primarily a result of limited staff availability and resources during the pandemic.”

⚠️ Impact: Waters’ campaign admitted errors, agreed to pay the fine, and will send its treasurer to FEC training.

IN FULL:

California Democratic Representative Maxine Waters’ 2020 congressional campaign has been fined $68,000 by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for violating federal campaign finance laws. The Conciliation and Settlement Agreements, released by the FEC  on May 30, reveal that Waters’ campaign committee, Citizens for Waters, understated its contributions and expenditures by several hundred thousand dollars during the 2020 election cycle.

The FEC investigation found that Citizens for Waters, among other violations, accepted $19,000 in excessive contributions in 2019 and 2020 and improperly disbursed $7,000 in cash from a petty cash fund. The campaign has since agreed to pay the fine and committed to sending its treasurer to an FEC-sponsored training program for political committees.

Leilani Beaver, an attorney for the Waters campaign, stated in correspondence with the FEC that the errors were not “willful or purposeful,” attributing the missteps to limited staff and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beaver also noted that the campaign amended its financial reports and returned the excess contributions identified by FEC auditors.

This is not the first time Waters, who has served in Congress since 1991, has faced scrutiny over campaign finance and ethics issues. In 2004, she was criticized for employing her daughter in her campaign as a slate mailer, a practice that has resulted in over $1.2 million in payments to her daughter. Additionally, in 2010, Waters faced accusations of violating conflict of interest rules for allegedly assisting a bank tied to her husband, though the House Ethics Committee later dismissed the case.

Waters has also made headlines for her outspoken opposition to President Donald J. Trump. In 2018, she urged her supporters to confront Trump administration officials in public spaces, suggesting they were “not welcome” in restaurants, stores, or gas stations.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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May 23, 2025
Election Integrity

U.S. Govt Says Election Officials CAN Verify Voter Citizenship.

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❓What Happened: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced reforms to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to prevent noncitizens, including illegal aliens, from being added to state voter rolls.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, USCIS, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and state election officials.

📍 Where & When: Reforms announced Thursday, May 22, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, USCIS is moving quickly to eliminate voter fraud. We expect further improvements soon and remain committed to restoring trust in American elections,” said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser.

⚠️ Impact: The reforms aim to strengthen election integrity by enabling state officials to more efficiently verify voter registrants’ citizenship using Social Security Numbers.

IN FULL:

The Trump administration has unveiled significant changes to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, aiming to bolster election integrity by removing foreign nationals, including illegal immigrants, from state voter rolls. During the 2024 elections, the issue of noncitizens and illegal immigrants casting ballots became a serious concern—especially with the former Biden government taking measures to block Republican attempts to ensure election integrity.

On Thursday, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the updated SAVE program will allow state election officials to verify voter registrants’ citizenship using Social Security Numbers (SSNs). This marks a shift from the previous system, which relied on alien numbers typically held only by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“For years, states have pleaded for tools to help identify and stop aliens from hijacking our elections,” said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, USCIS is moving quickly to eliminate voter fraud. We expect further improvements soon and remain committed to restoring trust in American elections.”

Additionally, the reforms aim to streamline the process for state and local election officials, enabling them to submit multiple citizenship verification cases simultaneously rather than one at a time. This adjustment is expected to significantly reduce administrative burdens and expedite verification.

In April, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reported discovering thousands of foreign nationals on a limited number of state voter rolls, suggesting the issue could be more widespread. The partnership between USCIS and the Social Security Administration (SSA) aims to address these concerns by providing state officials with more efficient tools to verify citizenship status.

Previously, state and local governments were charged fees to access the SAVE program for verifying voter eligibility, as well as for driver’s licenses and other public benefits. The Trump administration has since eliminated these charges to encourage broader use of the program.

Image by Gulbenk.

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May 19, 2025
Election Integrity
Health

A Pfizer-COVID Investigation May Finally Be on the Cards.

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❓What Happened: The House Judiciary Committee is investigating claims that Pfizer executives delayed COVID-19 vaccine trial results to influence the 2020 election.

👥 Who’s Involved: Philip Dormitzer, Pfizer’s former head of vaccine research and development; the House Judiciary Committee; federal prosecutors; and GSK (GlaxoSmithKline).

📍 Where & When: Allegations stem from 2020, with ongoing investigations in 2025.

💬 Key Quote: Dormitzer reportedly stated, “Let’s just say it wasn’t a coincidence, the timing of the vaccine.”

⚠️ Impact: The investigation could reveal whether Pfizer acted to impact the 2020 presidential election, and may lead to further scrutiny of the pharma giant’s practices.

IN FULL:

The House Judiciary Committee has launched an investigation into allegations that Pfizer executives deliberately slowed COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The claims center on comments made by Philip Dormitzer, Pfizer’s former head of vaccine research and development.

According to Dormitzer, Pfizer’s top research executives intentionally delayed the completion of clinical testing, ensuring results would not be available before the election. Dormitzer reportedly told colleagues at his subsequent employer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), that the timing of the vaccine’s release was “not a coincidence.” GSK later passed this information to federal prosecutors in New York.

The Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan, has demanded that Dormitzer provide all relevant documents related to Pfizer’s vaccine trials from March 1, 2020, to the present. Dormitzer has also been asked to schedule a transcribed interview with the committee by May 29. Dormitzer reportedly requested a transfer to Canada after Trump’s 2024 re-election, citing fears of investigation.

Positive trial results, if disclosed earlier, could have politically benefited President Donald J. Trump, then serving his first term. Trump has previously accused Pfizer and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of withholding vaccine success to hinder his 2020 re-election campaign.

Image by Myke Sena/MS.

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May 19, 2025
Election Integrity
Politics

Trump Orders Investigation Into Oprah, Springsteen, Beyoncé, Bono and More…

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❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump questioned whether Kamala Harris paid entertainment elites for endorsements during her 2024 campaign.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, Kamala Harris, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Oprah Winfrey, Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, and Tyler Perry.

📍 Where & When: Trump made the statement on Truth Social on Monday, May 19, 2025; celebrity endorsements occurred during Harris’s 2024 campaign rallies in various locations, including Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas.

💬 Key Quote: “BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!” — President Trump.

⚠️ Impact: Trump’s comments raise questions about potential election law violations and the role of celebrity influence in political campaigns.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump has raised concerns over whether Kamala Harris compensated entertainment elites for their endorsements during her struggling 2024 presidential campaign. In a post on Truth Social on Monday morning, Trump raised the possibility, suggesting a potential investigation into whether election laws were violated.

“According to news reports, Beyoncé was paid $11,000,000 to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG!” Trump wrote, continuing: “Remember, the Democrats and Kamala illegally paid her millions of Dollars for doing nothing other than giving Kamala a full throated ENDORSEMENT.”

He added: “THIS IS AN ILLEGAL ELECTION SCAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL! IT IS AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION! BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!”

The President’s accusations come amid renewed attacks from Bruce Springsteen, who drew Trump’s ire last week. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Springsteen announced his support for Harris, stating, “Donald Trump is the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime.”

At a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris received backing from a host of Hollywood stars, including Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, and Tyler Perry. Meanwhile, pop icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter endorsed Harris during a rally in Houston, Texas, focusing her remarks on abortion.

“I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyoncé stated. “Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what’s possible with no ceilings, no limitations.”

Trump’s Truth Social post suggests he believes these endorsements may warrant scrutiny under election law. Notably, campaign finance records indicate that the Harris campaign paid at least $1 million to Oprah‘s production company. This payment was supposedly in exchange for the company’s assistance with the “United for America” livestream rally featuring numerous celebrities and endorsements in September 2024.

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May 13, 2025
William Upton
Election Integrity
Lawfare

Democrat Lawfare Guru Marc Elias Sues State Over Law Preventing Noncitizen Voting.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Far-left Democrat election attorney Marc Elias is suing the State of Wyoming to make it easier for noncitizens to cast ballots in state and federal elections.

👥 Who’s Involved: The State of Wyoming, Marc Elias, the Equality State Policy Center, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray.

📍 Where & When: The lawsuit was filed on Friday, May 9, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “The far-left’s lawsuit is a meritless attempt to undermine the common-sense election integrity measures Wyomingites want. Proof of citizenship and proof of residency are common-sense measures pivotal to election integrity,” said Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray in response to the court filing.

⚠️ Impact: Wyoming’s proof of citizenship requirement was passed into law in March. If Elias’s lawsuit is successful, it would mean that noncitizens would only need to assert they are legally allowed to vote in order to cast a ballot in elections held in the state.

IN FULL:

Democrat lawfare operative and elections attorney Marc Elias has filed a lawsuit against the State of Wyoming to make it easier for noncitizens to vote in the state’s elections. Elias’s lawsuit targets a new state law that will soon take effect and requires those registering to vote to provide election officials with documented proof of citizenship. These documents can include a U.S. passport, naturalization papers, a birth certificate, and other official government forms of identification only available to citizens.

“When HB 156 becomes effective, it will impose new, burdensome, and entirely unnecessary requirements that will make it harder for eligible citizens to vote,” the lawsuit, filed by Elias, along with the Equality State Policy Center and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), reads. “Women—as well as Hispanic, young, and low-income voters—are less likely to have acceptable documentation and, in many cases, face greater hurdles to obtaining it,” it claims.

Notably, the Elias lawsuit raises one of the Democratic Party’s newest anti-election integrity talking points, which claims Voter I.D. and measures ensuring only citizens vote discriminate against married women. The lawsuit contends that women who have taken their husbands’ last names are more likely to be turned away from polling places, despite little evidence of this actually occurring.

The lawsuit also contends that the new law is duplicative, as Wyoming and the U.S. federal government already require voters to attest to their eligibility to vote with a sworn statement. Proponents of the document requirements counter that the provision adds an extra layer of security by requiring evidence that a voter is a citizen beyond their mere word.

Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray has pledged to defend the document requirement in court. He blasted Elias and his co-filers, stating: “The far-left’s lawsuit is a meritless attempt to undermine the common-sense election integrity measures Wyomingites want. Proof of citizenship and proof of residency are common-sense measures pivotal to election integrity.”

Image by Jewish Democratic Council of America.

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April 24, 2025
William Upton
Election Integrity
Lawfare

Clinton Judge Blocks Trump Order Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote.

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❓What Happened: A Bill Clinton-appointed federal judge blocked part of an election integrity Executive Order issued by President Donald J. Trump requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, NAACP, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

📍 Where & When: United States; Executive Order signed last month; ruling handed down in federal court on Thursday, April 24.

💬 Key Quote: “Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States—not the President—with the authority to regulate federal elections. Consistent with that allocation of power, Congress is currently debating legislation that would effect many of the changes the President purports to order,” Judge Kollar-Kotelly wrote.

⚠️ Impact: While Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling blocks the Trump EO’s proof of citizenship requirement, it leaves its other two provisions to prevent noncitizens from voting and reduce voter fraud intact.

IN FULL:

A federal judge has blocked part of an election integrity Executive Order signed by President Donald J. Trump. According to U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, the order’s provision requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote infringes upon constitutionally reserved powers for the respective State governments and Congress.

“Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States—not the President—with the authority to regulate federal elections. Consistent with that allocation of power, Congress is currently debating legislation that would effect many of the changes the President purports to order,” Judge Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a 120-page opinion handed down on Thursday. The Bill Clinton appointee added: “No statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order.”

The ruling is the result of the consolidation of three cases filed after President Trump issued his election integrity order last month. The Democratic National Committee (DNC), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) initiated one of the lawsuits. Other plaintiffs include the League of United Latin American Citizens and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

While Judge Kollar-Kotelly blocked the citizenship provision in Trump’s Executive Order, she left the two other components of the presidential directive intact. These include a provision for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State to provide the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with data to aid it in identifying noncitizens currently on voting rolls. The other measure instructs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to initiate legal action against state governments that ignore a Trump administration requirement that mail-in ballots be received before or on election day to be counted.

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April 24, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Election Integrity

Trump Sets Sights on Notorious Democrat Fundraising Machine.

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❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump is looking to crack down on foreign donations to American elections, which could affect a major Democrat fundraising platform.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Democratic Party, and ActBlue.

📍 Where & When: President Trump is expected to sign a memorandum this week.

💬 Key Quote: “[D]espite repeated instances of fraudulent donations to Democrat campaigns and causes from domestic and foreign sources, ActBlue is not demonstrating a serious effort to deter fraud on its platform.” — House Oversight and Administration Committees staff report.

⚠️ Impact: The crackdown could significantly impede one of the Democrats’ most influential fundraising platforms.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump is set to crack down on the notorious Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue. The America First leader is expected to sign a memorandum on Thursday, April 24, targeting foreign contributions to American elections. Many have claimed that foreigners could exploit ActBlue for such purposes.

A senior White House official disclosed that Attorney General Pam Bondi will be tasked with investigating whether ActBlue facilitated contributions via “dummy” accounts or allowed foreign nationals to donate to Democratic entities.

Until recently, ActBlue did not mandate card verification value (CVV) numbers for financial transactions, and allegations arose about internal directives encouraging ActBlue employees to be “more lenient” in accepting contributions. Between September and October 2024 alone, at least 237 overseas transactions reportedly involving prepaid cards were identified as suspicious by Republicans.

“[D]espite repeated instances of fraudulent donations to Democrat campaigns and causes from domestic and foreign sources, ActBlue is not demonstrating a serious effort to deter fraud on its platform,” contends a House Oversight Committee and Administration Committee staff report on the issue.

U.S. federal law bans any foreign nationals and governments from contributing to federal, state, or local election campaigns. Still, a lack of vetting means foreign donor restrictions can be circumvented.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched his own investigation into ActBlue in December 2023. He alleges that the platform is being exploited to make straw donations using prepaid cards. Paxton has claimed there is evidence that people have used false identities and untraceable payment methods.

In December last year, a Wisconsin court approved a subpoena directed at ActBlue. This came after a GOP consultant claimed someone was using his identity to give money to the platform.

Jack Montgomery contributed to this report.

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