Free Republic

For the first time, a Wisconsin court has approved a subpoena to the massive Democrat fund-raising platform ActBlue, saying it owes an explanation to a Republican whose email identity was used to make liberal donations he did not authorize. “Something is not right,” Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad D. Schimel declared as he approved a limited demand for documents and opened a new front into a widening fund-raising probe begun earlier this year by Congress and 19 attorneys general. Schimel rejected ActBlue’s arguments that it was onerous to require it to comply a subpoena for third-party donations it processed...

Mark Block uncovered unauthorized ActBlue donations made in his name. The alias “Bernie Kane” was used to spoof conservative donors. Smurfing breaks large donations into small ones to avoid detection. ActBlue does not require ID verification for small-dollar donors. Watchdogs warn these loopholes could distort real campaign momentum. In 2023, Republican strategist Mark Block was surprised to receive a phone call alleging he had donated to Bernie Sanders. He initially dismissed it as an error but then saw proof. Small-dollar donations had been processed through ActBlue using his name and address, despite the fact that he had never contributed.