Top Democrats Face Scandal Over Illegal Foreign Donations on ActBlue

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed are still pulling campaign cash through ActBlue even as Congress probes the platform for letting illegal foreign money into U.S. races. The scandal hit headlines again after a viral clip surfaced showing an 88-year-old Michigan woman fighting nearly $150,000 in political donations tied to her name in federal records. She admitted using ActBlue to give money but insisted the number was wrong. Federal Election Commission logs show more than 15,000 contributions from that single donor over six years.

ActBlue claims it has handled over $19 billion since launching in 2004, making it one of the biggest online fundraising engines for mostly Democratic candidates, party committees, and progressive groups. The site markets itself as a grassroots tool meant to stand against dark money special interests that supposedly dominate politics.

Republicans say the platform is now easy targets for fraud and foreign cash. House committees have been looking into ActBlue's anti-fraud rules since 2023 to see if its safety nets actually stop illegal outside donations and fake contributions. The company denies any wrongdoing. An April 2025 interim staff report pulled from internal ActBlue records found the system flagged 237 donations arriving from foreign IP addresses using domestic prepaid cards during a single 30-day stretch in late 2024. Committees called that pattern a leading sign of fraud. The probe is still moving forward, and no verdict has banned ActBlue or declared it broke campaign finance laws.

ActBlue grew from a basic donation processor into a Democratic Party powerhouse. Its own website says the group offers fundraising help, organizing support, campaign websites, voter outreach tools, and other digital gear for thousands of candidates and groups with a mission to "fuel Democratic wins." The platform still processes money for some of the party's biggest names. El-Sayed gets cash through ActBlue, and his backers include Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose own campaign site points supporters there to donate to El-Sayed. It also handles funds for the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and countless other campaigns and progressive groups. The "Trending Campaigns" page currently lists El-Sayed next to Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Texas Rep. James Talarico, Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson, and former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Other high-profile progressives still using the service include Rep. Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong who is running for governor, and former Rep. Cori Bush from Missouri seeking to return to Congress. The Republican National Committee says Democratic candidates need to explain why they keep trusting ActBlue when a congressional investigation looms and donors claim their names were used without permission.

Ally Triolo, the RNC's election integrity communications director, told Fox News Digital that defenders of ActBlue claim cheating the system is the only way for corrupt campaigns to raise money. They defend fraud and schemes like this platform because they know it works.

ActBlue has denied wrongdoing so far. The ongoing congressional investigation has not yet resulted in any finding that the platform engaged in fraud or violated campaign finance laws.

One case fueling renewed scrutiny involves an 88-year-old resident of Milan, Michigan named Elizabeth Waffle. She acknowledged making donations through ActBlue but disputed donating nearly $150,000 attributed to her in a now-viral interview with the Michigan Enjoyer.

Fox News Digital independently reviewed Federal Election Commission records attributing more than 16,000 political contributions totaling nearly $150,000 between September 2020 and June 2026 to an Elizabeth Waffle of Milan, Michigan. During the interview, a reporter presented Waffle with what he said were Federal Election Commission records documenting those contributions.

Waffle disputed the nearly $150,000 in political donations attributed to her in records presented during the interview after a reporter arrived unannounced at her trailer. She claimed she did not have that kind of money.

"One hundred and fifty thousand? Hell no. I don't have that kind of money," Waffle said. "I don't see $150,000. That's very abnormal and I think it's wrong. I think there's something in there that's off."

Federal Election Commission records reviewed by Fox News Digital attribute 47 ActBlue contributions totaling about $518 to an Elizabeth Waffle of Milan, Michigan for El-Sayed's campaign between October 2025 and July 2026. Waffle was not asked about those specific contributions during the interview. She did, however, acknowledge using ActBlue to make political donations while disputing the nearly $150,000 in political contributions attributed to her in records presented during the interview.

"Everything goes through ActBlue. ActBlue is like the bank," Waffle said.

Waffle was interviewed outside the trailer where she said she has lived since her home burned down two years earlier. During the interview, she said her phone was not getting internet service as she attempted to demonstrate how she used ActBlue to make political donations.

El-Sayed pledged to reject corporate PAC money and campaigned on reducing the influence of money in politics. He continues to raise campaign funds through ActBlue, which remains under congressional investigation. His campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on its continued use of ActBlue or the allegations raised by Elizabeth Waffle.

ActBlue rejected the allegations against it as politically motivated. "For three years, ActBlue has been targeted by MAGA Republicans because of who we are and what we stand for, not because of any unlawful conduct," the organization told Fox News Digital. The organization also said it has "zero tolerance for fraud or other illegal activity" and that its fraud-prevention measures meet or exceed legal requirements.

A spokesman for House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil confirmed to Fox News Digital that the committee is examining Waffle's case as part of its broader investigation into ActBlue. Steil launched the investigation in 2023.

ActBlue employees have repeatedly refused to answer questions under oath about fraud and illegal foreign donations on their platform, Steil said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Our investigation will continue and I will continue to demand answers for the American people." This was the stance Rep. Mike Steil took during a June hearing regarding ActBlue. He noted that current and former employees invoked their Fifth Amendment rights one hundred forty-six times while speaking with congressional investigators. CEO Regina Wallace-Jones stood among them, choosing not to answer questions about how the organization prevents fraud or handles suspicious donations.

Wallace-Jones faces no criminal charges right now. Using the Fifth Amendment does not prove guilt either. It is a legal shield people use when they refuse to testify against themselves. The congressional inquiry into these matters has not stopped. Investigators are still digging for facts.