Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has called on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to take action after his office’s investigation into ActBlue uncovered suspicious donations. The year-long investigation, which began in December 2023, found that straw donations were allegedly made using prepaid credit cards, allowing bad actors to bypass campaign finance laws.
Paxton’s office claims that these straw donations involve using another person’s identity to make political contributions without their knowledge. He warned that this practice could allow foreign money to infiltrate U.S. elections, posing a threat to national election integrity.
ActBlue responded to the investigation by introducing a requirement for CVV codes on credit card donations in August. However, Paxton argues that this change does not fully address the problem. “Our investigation has revealed serious flaws in the system that need to be fixed,” Paxton said.
Paxton has petitioned the FEC to implement stricter regulations to close the loopholes identified by his investigation. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that all political donations are traceable and legal, saying, “The security of our elections depends on it.”
The FEC has yet to comment on Paxton’s findings, but the investigation has drawn attention to the vulnerabilities in political donation systems.
