U.S. Sen Johnson, Rep. Steil: Demand classified briefings on potential foreign influence in U.S. elections

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and U.S. Congressman Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) sent letters to the U.S. Treasury Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) requesting information on potential election interference through fraudulent donations by foreign actors. In the letter to Treasury, Chairman Steil and Ranking Member Johnson requested Suspicious Activity Reports related to ActBlue. They also requested that all three agencies provide classified briefings on the matter.

Excerpts from the letters read:

“As Chairman of the Committee on House Administration (“CHA”) and as the Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (“PSI”), both with broad oversight of our nation’s federal elections, we write to you to raise an urgent concern regarding potential illicit election funding by foreign actors.”

“CHA has been investigating claims that foreign actors, primarily from Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and China, may be using ActBlue to launder illicit money into U.S. political campaigns. The investigation has indicated that these actors may be exploiting existing U.S. donors by making straw donations without their knowledge.”

Read the full letters here.

Background:

On April 17, 2023, Ranking Member Ron Johnson wrote to the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”) regarding a video posted online by the O’Keefe Media Group on March 28, 2023 alleging that political donations are being made in large amounts to certain political groups without the donors’ knowledge. The FEC refused to confirm or deny whether it is investigating this matter.

On October 31, 2023, following reports that ActBlue was accepting political contributions without a card verification value (CVV), Chairman Steil sent a letter demanding answers on ActBlue’s practices, questioning if they are complying with federal campaign finance laws and preventing foreign and illegal contributions.

On November 27, 2023, ActBlue responded to Chairman Steil’s letter saying it did not require a CVV in order to contribute on their website.

On September 6, 2024, Chairman Steil introduced H.R. 9488, the Secure Handling of Internet Electronic Donations (SHIELD) Act. The legislation prohibits political committees from accepting an online contribution unless the contributor provides the CVV and billing address associated with the card and from accepting online contributions from prepaid cards. It also adopts a top legislative recommendation from the FEC to prohibit individuals from knowingly aiding or abetting a person making a contribution in the name of another person.

On September 11, 2024, the SHIELD Act passed the Committee on House Administration by a voice-vote.

On September 18, 2024, Chairman Steil sent letters to the Attorneys General from Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Florida, and Missouri, updating them on the Committee’s investigation into ActBlue, a major democratic fundraising platform. Along with the letter, the Attorneys General received the data and evidence that the Committee has collected over the course of almost a year.