ActBlue, the Democratic Party online fundraising platform that has raised more than $16 billion for liberal candidates and far-left causes since 2004, is facing collapse.
An organization crisis followed the departure of at least seven senior officials and allegations of retaliation against a company lawyer.
The exodus began on February 21 after investigations were launched into the organizations security and fraud-prevention measures. Two directors, the heads of customer service and partnerships who had both worked at the organization for more than a decade, resigned suddenly according reports.
The following week, five more senior officials left, including the associate general counsel (the organization’s highest-ranking legal officer), the assistant research director, a human resources official, the chief revenue officer, and an engineer who had spent 16 years building ActBlue’s donation infrastructure.
“Now, my primary mission is rest,” wrote Alyssa Twomey, the departing vice president for customer service, on social media. “After 14+ years of living and breathing all things ActBlue, it’s time for a reset.”
The situation escalated on February 26 when Zain Ahmad, at that point the only remaining lawyer in ActBlue’s general counsel’s office, alleged that the company had revoked his access to email and other internal platforms and deleted some of his Slack messages.
“Please be advised that we have Anti-Retaliation and Whistleblower Policies for a reason,” Ahmad wrote in an internal message. Ahmad is now reportedly on leave from the organization.
The organization’s union described Ahmad’s allegations as “unsettling and disturbing, and part of a growing pattern of volatility and toxicity stemming from current leadership.”
In their letter to the board, they urged hiring an independent investigator to “better understand the current state of the organization and evaluate if our C.E.O. is doing her job in an appropriate, competent and responsible manner.”
ActBlue spokeswoman Megan Hughes acknowledged the turmoil but did not address the specific allegations.
“Like many organizations, as we undergo some transition heading into this new election cycle, we are focused on ensuring we have a strong team in place,” Hughes said. “We greatly appreciate the contributions of our incredible team members and remain deeply committed to the success of our organization and our mission.”
The internal crisis comes as ActBlue faces increasing scrutiny from congressional Republicans, who have been investigating the organization’s security measures and procedures for preventing illegal foreign donations. On February 6, ActBlue responded to Republican congressional inquiries with a three-page letter from law firm Covington & Burling about its security and fraud prevention measures.
Republican allegations against the organization intensified in the lead-up to the 2024 election. House Speaker Mike Johnson told Newsmax on November 3 that an investigation was underway, suggesting ActBlue might be operating “almost like a money-laundering operation” by potentially breaking down large checks from foreign sources into smaller donations.
Rep. Bryan Steil, chair of the Committee on House Administration, issued a subpoena to ActBlue before the election, with House investigators reportedly examining whether entities from Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and China may have directed funds to support Democratic campaigns through the platform.
The Fair Election Fund, a Republican watchdog group, claimed in August that it had found more than 60,000 potential discrepancies in donations to the Biden-Harris presidential campaign, contacting people named in Federal Election Commission reports who allegedly didn’t recall making donations.
Some Democrats fear the Republican investigations could be part of a broader effort to destabilize Democratic infrastructure now that Republicans control both Congress and the White House. The ActBlue unions’ letter acknowledged these external pressures, noting the organization was “under increasing scrutiny” and “the target of bad-faith political attacks at the hands of ill-intentioned operators.”
The letter also expressed particular concern about the departure of staff members with expertise in legal and compliance issues, stating: “Those of us who work with our legal team in our day-to-day do not have clear direction on how to proceed with our work in their absence.”
If ActBlue were to become severely diminished, the impact on Democratic fundraising could be substantial. While alternative platforms exist, none match ActBlue’s scale or reach, potentially leaving Democratic candidates at all levels at a fundraising disadvantage heading into future elections.