Another ActBlue leader pleads Fifth as House investigates alleged foreign donations

Kimberly Peeler‑Allen, a member of the board of ActBlue, the Democratic online fundraising powerhouse, invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self‑incrimination while testifying before a joint House investigation into alleged foreign and fraudulent donations to the platform, according to people familiar with the closed‑door session.

The appearance on Capitol Hill came as the House Administration, Judiciary and Oversight committees are conducting a coordinated probe that began in 2023. Lawmakers have been examining whether ActBlue’s donation‑processing safeguards are sufficient to block foreign money from entering U.S. elections, and whether the organization adequately disclosed its practices to Congress.

Peeler‑Allen is not the first ActBlue official to refuse to answer questions. Co‑founder Matt DeBergalis invoked the Fifth Amendment during his Aug. 20 deposition before the same three panels, and Chief Executive Regina Wallace‑Jones did the same in June. Their decisions follow a pattern that has frustrated committee members seeking concrete answers about the flow of money through the platform.

The chairman of the House Administration Committee, Republican Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, told reporters he was “frustrated that individuals at ActBlue haven’t answered our questions on the record.” In an interview with correspondent Mark Meredith, Steil said the panel wants to ensure that the organization has proper fraud‑prevention protocols in place. “We have an entity here with ActBlue that has raised roughly $20 billion since its creation and moved that into Democratic campaigns and Democratic causes,” he said. “We want to make sure that foreign funds are not coming into U.S. elections.”

The investigation gained additional momentum after an April investigative report by The New York Times disclosed that ActBlue’s own legal counsel concluded the chief executive’s letter to House Republicans contained misleading statements about the platform’s donation‑screening process. According to the report, Wallace‑Jones described the safeguards as “multilayered,” while the company’s attorneys later advised that the steps she outlined were not consistently followed—a discrepancy the counsel said posed a “substantial risk” for the organization.

In response, ActBlue has maintained that it employs robust anti‑fraud measures, but the company declined to comment further when contacted by this news organization.

The congressional scrutiny coincides with a separate legal battle. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in state court alleging that ActBlue accepted donations that were either fraudulent or originated from foreign sources. The suit, which mirrors concerns raised by the House panels, could further pressure the platform to open its internal records for public review.

Steil emphasized that the inquiry is not about partisan politics but about safeguarding the integrity of the electoral system. “This investigation began as a review of online fundraising platforms and a determination whether those platforms had fraud‑prevention programs in place to prevent foreign funds from coming into U.S. elections,” he said. “One of those, ActBlue, has been called out by The New York Times for having misled or lied to Congress. We’re trying to get to the bottom of what has been taking place inside ActBlue, per the public reporting.”

As the three committees continue to gather testimony and documents, Republican lawmakers have introduced a slate of bills aimed at tightening donation rules for digital fundraising platforms. The proposals include requiring additional verification steps, such as the use of credit‑card CVV codes, and enhancing reporting requirements for contributions that exceed certain thresholds.

Peeler‑Allen’s refusal to answer questions is legally permissible, and Steil acknowledged that the Fifth Amendment is a protected right. “They have a right to do that,” he said. “And I understand why they did that. But I think the American people deserve to know exactly what’s going on.”

The next phase of the investigation is expected to include a public hearing where Wallace‑Jones could be called to testify. Until then, the committees say they will keep pressing for documentation that could clarify whether ActBlue’s systems have been exploited by foreign or fraudulent donors.