A congressional investigation into Democratic fundraising giant ActBlue drew sharp criticism Wednesday from Rep. Terri Sewell, who accused Republicans of targeting powerful Black women under the guise of oversight.
According to Fox News, the Alabama Democrat spoke out as House Republicans continue examining ActBlue and its leadership over concerns about potentially illegal campaign donations.
At the center of the probe is ActBlue CEO and President Regina Wallace-Jones. Republican lawmakers are seeking records and communications as they investigate whether the organization adequately screened donations and whether foreign contributions may have slipped through its fundraising system.
“Over and over again, Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has harassed Black women with bogus lawsuits,” Sewell said Wednesday.
Republicans have focused part of their inquiry on whether ActBlue knowingly accepted improper donations or failed to comply with requests for information from Congress.
The investigation has gained additional attention following President Donald Trump’s call earlier this year for federal authorities to examine the fundraising platform.
“There is evidence to suggest that foreign nationals are seeking to misuse online fundraising platforms to improperly influence American elections,” the White House said in an April statement.
ActBlue has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Wallace-Jones has maintained that the organization uses multiple safeguards to detect and block improper donations.
“Our approach is multilayered, with checks and confirmations occurring throughout the donation process to verify donors and donor information,” Wallace-Jones previously told Fox News Digital.
According to Wallace-Jones, those safeguards include requiring Card Verification Values, using IP address monitoring to identify foreign-sourced donations, applying an Address Verification System and conducting manual reviews of contributions.
Sewell argued that the scrutiny facing Wallace-Jones is part of a broader pattern.
“This investigation is just one more example of Republicans and President Trump using power of his office to harass and intimidate anyone willing to challenge him,” Sewell said. “The Trump Department of Justice has used its power to intimidate and victimize communities of color, especially Black Americans.”
The congresswoman pointed to several other high-profile figures she believes have faced similar treatment.
“We should not forget the harassment of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook, the harassment of the New York Attorney General, Tish James and the harassment of our colleague Congresswoman LaMonica McIver,” Sewell said.
“It is not surprising that this Republican-led committee is now attacking ActBlue and its CEO, Ms. Wallace-Jones,” she added.
The dispute highlights growing tensions over campaign finance and election security as Republicans continue pressing for answers about ActBlue’s donation practices while Democrats characterize the effort as politically motivated.
For now, House Republicans are continuing their review of the fundraising platform as questions surrounding its screening procedures remain under investigation.
