ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a House Administration Committee hearing Wednesday as lawmakers examined allegations that foreign donations were funneled through the Democratic fundraising platform to federal candidates.
Wallace-Jones declined to answer questions from lawmakers, including a basic question about her identity posed by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-GA, citing her constitutional right against self-incrimination.
The hearing was yet another chapter in an ongoing congressional investigation into ActBlue’s fundraising practices and allegations that the platform may have processed unlawful campaign contributions.
Ahead of her testimony, Wallace-Jones signaled she would not cooperate with questioning, defending her decision in a prior written statement.
“Invoking the Fifth Amendment is not an admission, or even an insinuation, of guilt. It is not a retreat,” she wrote.
“It is the only reasonable response to a proceeding that from the beginning has been about harassing a political opponent’s fundraising platform, not genuine oversight,” she added.
Republicans assert that Congress has a responsibility to investigate whether federal election laws have been violated and whether safeguards exist to prevent foreign money from entering American elections.
Democrats and ActBlue officials, however, have characterized the investigation as politically motivated and have urged lawmakers to subject Republican fundraising operations to similar scrutiny.
Wallace-Jones also accused lawmakers of exceeding their constitutional authority by conducting investigations that she argued resemble criminal inquiries.
“Congress has no constitutional authority to conduct criminal investigations. The Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear that this role belongs to the executive branch,” she wrote.
“When a congressional committee works with the Justice Department to target a political adversary, it is not legislating. It has crossed a red line that was drawn into the Constitution for a reason,” Wallace-Jones added.
ActBlue is facing other legal challenges. In April, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the platform from accepting contributions through gift cards and prepaid debit cards.
ActBlue responded by filing its own lawsuit in May, asking a court to block what it described as retaliatory actions that violate First Amendment protections.
Wallace-Jones defended the organization’s role in Democratic fundraising, noting that the platform processed billions of dollars in contributions during the last election cycle.
“I lead an organization that processed $3.5 billion in contributions in 2024, with an average donation amount of $50 or less — many from first-time donors who simply wanted a voice,” she wrote.
“I owe it to every single one of them to fight back. The Fifth Amendment is the right tool for this moment. It is a bedrock American tool, built for when power overreaches,” she added.
