Democratic fundraisers plead the Fifth

Five employees of the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue invoked the Fifth Amendment when questioned by congressional investigators, refusing to answer any questions.

The witnesses were called to testify as part of an investigation into whether ActBlue misled Congress about its safeguards against foreign contributions. Those subpoenaed included former Vice President of Customer Service Alyssa Twomey, former General Counsel Darrin Hurwitz, former Director and Associate General Counsel Aaron Tug, Legal Counsel Zain Ahmad, and a senior workflow specialist involved in fraud prevention.

According to committee officials, the five employees invoked their Fifth Amendment rights 146 times, declining to answer questions ranging from “When did you work at the ActBlue” to “Did members of ActBlue’s legal and compliance teams leave ActBlue after the 2024 election because of the platform’s inability to prevent fraud during previous election cycles?”

Committee leaders said the refusal to testify “only amplifies” concerns about the platform’s internal controls.

A joint report obtained by conservative media outlet The Daily Wire from the House Administration, Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform Committees alleges a mass exodus of ActBlue legal and compliance staff after the 2024 presidential election. The report also says one ActBlue attorney “appears to have been retaliated against by ActBlue executives for blowing the whistle.”

Ahmad, described as one of the remaining attorneys at the organization, forwarded memoranda from outside counsel warning about weaknesses in ActBlue’s fraud detection and compliance practices, according to the report. Lawmakers argue the documents showed a failure to screen for foreign donations.

Ahmad reportedly went on leave after escalating the concerns to ActBlue’s board and senior leadership. Two days later, the organization’s director of compliance “either quit … or was fired” after more than a decade with the group.

The investigation is ongoing, with lawmakers examining whether ActBlue allowed foreign contributors into American elections and whether it misled Congress about its safeguards.A memo cited in the report warned that ActBlue could face allegations that it “accepted and/or facilitated the acceptance of foreign-national contributions,” and that any violations could be considered “knowing and willful,” potentially exposing the organization to increased penalties or a criminal investigation.

Under United States law, foreign citizens cannot donate directly to federal candidates or political action committees, and no one can lie to or obstruct evidence before Congress.

Nothing says "nothing to hide" quite like five ActBlue bigwigs pleading the Fifth a combined 146 times while Congress tries to figure out if the Democrats' favorite money-laundering machine has been letting foreign cash slosh into our elections. These are former vice presidents, general counsels, and senior compliance folks, the very people who were supposed to make sure ActBlue wasn't turning American democracy into an international PayPal for anyone with a suitcase full of unmarked bills.

When even the lawyers start clamming up and the compliance team does a mass vanishing act right after the 2024 election, you don't need a crystal ball to smell the panic. One attorney gets retaliated against for blowing the whistle, another gets shown the door after a decade on the job, and the remaining legal eagle is suddenly on leave after daring to point out that the fraud safeguards were about as sturdy as a wet paper bag.

The joint report from three House committees lays it out plainly: warnings ignored, foreign donation screens that apparently screened nothing, and a chilling memo spelling out the possibility of "knowing and willful" violations that could land the whole operation in serious legal crosshairs.

Democrats love to lecture the rest of us about "defending democracy," but when their premier fundraising platform gets hauled in front of Congress and responds with a collective "I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate me," the mask slips completely. 

If ActBlue has nothing to fear, why are all the adults in the room suddenly exercising their right to remain silent? The American people deserve straight answers, not a master class in stonewalling. This is the sound of a very expensive grift starting to unravel.

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