The powerful chairman of the House committee that oversees election integrity is asking five states to open investigations into “potential criminal activity” in the routing of hundreds of millions of dollars in political donations to Kamala Harris and other Democrats through the fundraising platform known as ActBlue.
House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., made five referrals on Wednesday evening to Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, saying a massive computer analysis conducted by his committee uncovered a suspicious pattern of donations from individuals with net worths too small to donate what has been credited to them via ActBlue reports to the Federal Election Commission.
"Straw donors" are donors who are either given money by others to donate to federal candidates or whose identity is misused by others to make donations to evade federal campaign contribution limits.
“This investigation focused on potential unlawful exploitation of unwitting ‘straw donors,’ whose identities may have been used to channel illicit funds into campaigns in your state,” Steil wrote the top law enforcement officials in the five states.
The Democrat Party was rocked by a straw donation scandal under Bill Clinton three decades ago when Congress and federal prosecutors confirmed wealthy businessmen tied to China routed millions to straw donors during the 1996 election.
The chairman cited three specific concerning trends: • Donations significantly disproportionate to an individual’s net worth or previous giving history.
In reviewing this analysis, it became clear there is suspicious activity occurring that warrants further review,” he added.
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