Virginia AG Miyares Targets ActBlue Fundraising

ActBlue, a fundraising platform for Democratic candidates, has dismissed allegations from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares as “false” and politically motivated. In a letter shared on social media, Miyares accused the organization of facilitating questionable donations, claiming that numerous Virginia donors made implausibly high contributions, with some reportedly donating multiple times daily over several years. He demanded a comprehensive account of ActBlue's verification processes for donor legitimacy and contribution accuracy, setting a deadline for a response by August 12, 2024. In response, ActBlue characterized the investigation as a partisan attack aimed at undermining the influence of small-dollar Democratic donors. The organization noted that Miyares' letter lacked specific examples of problematic donations, with spokesperson Ian Lichacz stating that the letter itself speaks volumes about its intent. The scrutiny follows conservative social media discussions regarding a particular donor from the Richmond suburbs, who was alleged to have made an unusually high number of contributions. Miyares amplified misleading claims from conservative figures, including Charlie Kirk, suggesting that the Richmond-area donor was funneling small donations to Democrats through ActBlue. However, federal campaign finance records indicate that the majority of this donor's contributions were directed toward Republican candidates. The attorney general's office has not clarified why the inquiry is focused solely on ActBlue, leaving questions about the broader context of political fundraising practices unanswered.