Democrat Fundraising Group ActBlue Faces Internal Chaos
ActBlue, the primary online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates, is experiencing significant internal upheaval as at least seven senior officials resigned late last month.
The departures coincide with an ongoing investigation by congressional Republicans, raising concerns about the organization’s future and its ability to continue as the party’s dominant fundraising tool.
X CEO Elon Musk commented on the recent departures at ActBlue, saying, “Something stinks about ActBlue.”
As Musk pointed out, ActBlue is funded by Democratic mega-donors, including George Soros, Reid Hoffman, Herbert Sandler, Patricia Bauman and Leah Hunt-Hendrix.
The organization, according to Musk, funded groups that targeted Tesla.
The wave of resignations has prompted alarm within the organization. Last week, two unions representing ActBlue employees sent a strongly worded letter to the board of directors, citing an “alarming pattern” of leadership exits that was “eroding our confidence in the stability of the organization.”
The letter specifically named the departing officials and underscored growing unease among staff members.
It remains unclear what led to the resignations, as none of the former officials have spoken publicly about their decisions to leave. ActBlue spokeswoman Megan Hughes acknowledged the transitions, stating that the organization is focused on maintaining a strong team heading into the election cycle.
“We greatly appreciate the contributions of our incredible team members and remain deeply committed to the success of our organization,” she said.
According to the unions’ letter, senior staff exits began on Feb. 21. That day, the directors of customer service and partnerships—both long-serving employees with over a decade at the organization—left their positions.
Alyssa Twomey, ActBlue’s outgoing vice president for customer service, posted on social media that she was taking a break after more than 14 years with the group.
Over the following week, additional resignations followed. Among those who left were the associate general counsel, the assistant research director, a key human resources official, the chief revenue officer, and a longtime engineer responsible for maintaining the infrastructure that handles ActBlue’s financial transactions, per the New York Times.
Amid these exits, Zain Ahmad, the last remaining lawyer in ActBlue’s general counsel’s office, reported internal retaliation. On Feb. 26, he posted a message on the company’s Slack platform stating that his access to email and other internal tools had been revoked.
He also claimed that previous Slack messages he had sent were deleted. Shortly thereafter, Ahmad was placed on leave, according to an individual familiar with the organization’s staffing.
Ahmad also warned that ActBlue’s internal policies on whistleblower protection and retaliation must be upheld. His statements were cited in the unions’ letter to the board, which characterized them as “unsettling and disturbing” and reflective of broader “volatility and toxicity” within the organization’s leadership.
The unions urged ActBlue’s board to hire an external investigator to assess the situation and determine whether CEO Regina Wallace-Jones was performing her role effectively. Wallace-Jones has not publicly commented on the staff concerns, and Hughes declined to address Ahmad’s allegations of retaliation.
If ActBlue’s stability continues to erode, it could have significant consequences for Democratic candidates at all levels of government. The platform has long been the party’s leading fundraising tool, raising more than $16 billion since its founding in 2004. While some alternative platforms exist, none match ActBlue’s scale and reach.
Congressional Republicans have ramped up their scrutiny of ActBlue in recent weeks, questioning the organization’s security and fraud-prevention measures. They have also raised concerns about potential foreign contributions.
In response, ActBlue’s legal representatives submitted a three-page letter to lawmakers on February 6, outlining the platform’s safeguards.
Some Democrats worry that Republican efforts to investigate ActBlue are part of a broader strategy to weaken Democratic fundraising infrastructure. With the GOP now controlling both Congress and the White House, concerns have grown that additional legislative measures could further restrict ActBlue’s operations.
Republicans have also turned their attention to Bonterra, a company that manages key Democratic and progressive digital fundraising infrastructure.
Last month, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) suggested that Bonterra could face a subpoena as part of a wider probe. However, he later acknowledged that the company had made efforts to comply with information requests.
Meanwhile, tensions between ActBlue and major Democratic campaigns have emerged in recent years. In 2023, then-President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign engaged in contentious negotiations with ActBlue over platform usage fees before reaching an agreement.
The unions’ letter expressed particular concern over the departure of staff members with expertise in legal and compliance matters. “Those of us who work with our legal team in our day-to-day do not have clear direction on how to proceed with our work in their absence,” the letter stated.
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