[ April 18, 2024 ]
Smelly AF.
Exclusive: Data shows that half of 2019 donations to ActBlue came from untraceable ‘unemployed’ donors
A Take Back Action Fund analysis of $400M in donations to liberal causes raises red flags of possible foreign involvement
By Hollie McKay | Fox News September 12, 2020:
Story continues below advertisementPresidential race tightening in battleground states
EXCLUSIVE: Less than two months ahead of the presidential election – with concerns of foreign interference again at the forefront – a conservative political group is raising “serious concerns” about millions of donations reported by a major Democratic fundraising platform.
placeholderA preliminary computer analysis by the Take Back Action Fund, obtained exclusively by Fox News, has found that nearly half of all 2019 donations to ActBlue were made by people claiming to be unemployed.
Action Fund President John Pudner questioned the veracity of those donations and called it a loophole that must be closed for the sake of election integrity.
“After downloading hundreds of millions of [dollars in] donations to the Take Back Action Fund servers, we were shocked to see that almost half of the donations to ActBlue in 2019 claimed to be unemployed individuals,” he said. “The name of employers must be disclosed when making political donations, but more than 4.7 million donations came from people who claimed they did not have an employer. Those 4.7 million donations totaled $346 million ActBlue raised and sent to liberal causes.”
The trend is continuing this year: An Action Fund examination of 2020 data from January through August showed an uptick in “unemployed” donations through ActBlue, to 50.1% this year.
ActBlue defends the integrity of its donations and said many come from retirees and people who aren’t counted as employed, such as homemakers.
According to the findings of the Action Fund – a nonprofit that aims to “educate the public on conservative solutions for political reform” – 48.4% of ActBlue donations last year, prior to the massive loss of jobs that came with the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic, came from those who did not list an employer or who claimed to be unemployed.
Pudner said the large number is a red flag that some donations may be illicit contributions from foreign interests attempting to impact U.S. elections.
placeholder“It is hard to believe that at a time when the U.S. unemployment rate was less than 4 percent, that unemployed people had $346 million dollars to send to ActBlue for liberal causes,” Pudner said, adding that “4.7 million donations from people without a job … raised serious concerns.”
ActBlue, created in 2004, bills itself as a “powerful online fundraising platform available to Democratic candidates and committees, progressive organizations, and nonprofits that share our values for no cost besides a 3.95% processing fee on donations.”
“And we operate as a conduit, which means donations made through ActBlue to a campaign or organization are considered individual donations,” its website explains.
But critics, including the Action Fund, contend that the website allows credit card donations that are not verified, so anyone from any country in the world can donate without a paper trail.
“ActBlue’s insistence on refusing to allow banks to verify their donations is an invitation to foreign programmers or others to send money through them using fake American names, and we encourage them to start letting banks verify the identity of donors to stop the potential for millions of dollars to influence our election,” Pudner said.
Last year, the Republican Party created a competing fundraising platform called WinRed to counter ActBlue’s prowess in small-donor sourcing.
placeholderAccording to the Action Fund, an analysis of WinRed’s 4.9 million donations totalling $302 million found that only 4% came from people who did not list an employer or were unemployed. This year, the rate is 5.6%, according to the data.
2019 data compiled by Take Back Action Fund2019 data compiled by Take Back Action Fund (Take Back Action Fund)
“We purposely wanted to examine 2019 first, because, before COVID-19, the unemployment rate was at 4 percent or below. It’s hard to believe that millions of Americans who were out of work had $346 million to spare to give to ActBlue for liberal causes,” Pudner said.
RUSSIA TARGETING BLACK LIVES MATTER, LEFT-LEANING VOTERS ONLINE: INTELLIGENCE SOURCES
Precisely determining if the donations were authentic and genuinely from those who were unemployed requires further time and resources, he said.
“Auditing these suspect donations to determine if millions lied by indicating they were unemployed when in fact they were not, or if their names were just being used by a foreign programmer or someone else to move money without their knowledge, will take time,” Pudner said. “We’ve planned a series of forensic procedures to identify whether or not these donors of record exist or not, if they made the contributions themselves, and whether they were legally able, and whether or not they are potential ‘straw’ donors, making the contributions after being given the money and direction by someone else.”
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden departs after speaking at a campaign event on manufacturing American products at UAW Region 1 headquarters in Warren, Mich., Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden departs after speaking at a campaign event on manufacturing American products at UAW Region 1 headquarters in Warren, Mich., Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
In response to questions by Fox News, a representative for ActBlue said “it is best security practice to refrain from publicly sharing any detailed information about how we analyze contributions.”
“But we use an array of data sources, internal validation and third-party services to verify the validity of transactions. We take the security of our platform and integrity of donations very seriously,” the spokesperson said. “We report every contribution to federal candidates that comes through our platform, and you can look those up on the FEC. We report the information donors enter about their occupation and employer, and we do see a significant portion of donors who report their status as not employed, such as retired donors or full-time parents.”
The issue of unauthenticated political donations was also brought to light by The Washington Post in 2008, which was at the time “allowing donors to use largely untraceable prepaid credit cards that could potentially be used to evade limits on how much an individual is legally allowed to give or to mask a contributor’s identity.”
In 2015, the Action Fund said millions of dollars “could be moved by allowing unverified credit card contributions,” and Pudner said that even today, ActBlue continues to use such an “unverified system.”
“We found it took other vendors only a matter of hours to switch their system to allow verification of donations and thus prevent the possibility of illegal foreign money being moved into campaigns,” Pudner said. “Choosing to use an untraceable system has a higher cost in terms of the risk of credit card fraud and also tends to incur higher bank fees. And this untraceable system allows someone with a gift card to make donations in anyone’s name, even if that person never actually made that donation, or even if that person doesn’t exist at all.”
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55 Comments
3 years ago
“It’s all about the Benjamins” The Iranian and Chinese Benjamins, operating smoothly through the Panama Papers laundry systems.
Paging Mr. Barr…. Mr. Barr, stat …
3 years ago
“It’s all about the Benjamins” The Iranian and Chinese Benjamins, operating smoothly through the Panama Papers laundry systems.
Paging Mr. Barr…. Mr. Barr, stat …
3 years ago
Girl Scout cookie sales no doubt!!
3 years ago
Reply to
AR154U☑ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ DEPLORABLE 2020
GOP Lawmakers Tell DOJ Over Netflix ‘Cuties’: Bring Charges Against Netflix for Distribution of Child Porn
https://www.theepochtimes.com/bring-charges-against-netflix-for-distribution-of-child-porn-gop-lawmakers-tell-doj-after-cuties-film-release_3497021.html
Move comes amid #CancelNetflix backlash over film; Two Republican lawmakers are calling on the Department of Justice to press charges against Netflix for “distribution of child pornography,” amid a “cancel Netflix” backlash against the streaming service prompted by its latest film release of “Cuties.”
3 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules2
Just seen the thumbnail ad on my app,… it says it is #8 in the country??
Pretty crazy,…. but I’ll wait on judging.
Same frenzy was done to child beauty pageant parents and contestants.
3 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules2
This looks important, and it fits with other data. These data show the primary election support declining for Obama for the 2nd term, but increasing for Trump. Rasmussen also found that the ‘strongly support’ numbers for Obama declined a lot by the 2nd term election. In contrast, ‘strongly support’ increased a lot for Trump by now. People are more likely to vote if they feel strongly about a certain candidate.
3 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules2
Twenty years ago, if a task force found that on someone’s computer, he’d be doin’ a stretch of 7 to 10 and spending a lifetime on the registry list.
3 years ago
Reply to
Achmed Mohandjob
When slick willie was riding the ” express ” to fantasy island –
3 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules2
Good. That reminds me I should call or email my Representative and Senators ASAP to tell them to do the same.
3 years ago
Reply to
AR154U☑ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ DEPLORABLE 2020
IN ORDER TO GET TO 10 STARS THEY HAVE TO TAKE A TRIP W/CLINTON AND PRO-CHINA, PRO-RIOT (UNTIL HE ISN’T) VP DEMENTIAL DADDY JOE MIGHTY SLOW NEEDS HIDING BRIBE’M/BIDEN TO THAT ISLAND JEFF EPSTEIN HAD SET UP FOR THEM!
3 years ago
Iranian money laundering 101: First setup a false ‘charity’ or Political Campaign and funnel the money !!
http://www.savewalterwhite.com/
3 years ago
I’d bet the majority of it is FOREIGN MONEY!
Why else would you not want it traceable?
?itok=I-5Ik18Q
3 years ago
Let me guess who those foreigners could be….. It’s a tough one….
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3 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules2
He heads the communist party of blm/antifa. He teaches our marxist school kids how to riot and burn the country he hates
3 years ago
Of course A.G. Barr has no problem with this. They’re old pals.
They have a history together…. So Biden can brag about it on video tape no less. Barr was probably chomping at the bit to come out of retirement for future payback$. He sure is a “lawyers lawyer” just like Durham. I’d bet he is as Republican as Mitt Romney. Shock me! I can handle it.
3 years ago
Hunter doesn’t mind “sheltering in place.”
That doesn’t include his 1.5 BILLION from China and who knows who else he got money from to have Dad sell us out. We are supposed to keep pretending Biden is rational and an upright person of the highest integrity but for Trump, he’s the opposite. Trump will never have a minutes peace after he leaves the WH. He could be on his death bed and they will continue to legally harass him. He will continue to be made an example of to discourage others from rebelling against them.
Not a scam job for Hunter!
3 years ago
Another day, another democrat crime not prosecuted by Barr’s DOJ. That fat terd is deep state
3 years ago
Reply to
tituspullo
Ice cold anger here. I can’t imagine being Trump and putting up with this day in and day out. He wants justice too.
3 years ago
Reply to
tituspullo
A.G. is a bipartisan fixer.
Biden, Barr and Cheney – all smiles in better days.
UPDATE – It’s Patrick Leahy not Cheney.
Thanks for the correction Patriotic American.
Regardless the swamp sticks together when it comes to corruption.
3 years ago
Reply to
Patriotic American
I don’t mind being corrected. Thank you!
After awhile they all begin to look alike.
You are RIGHT!
I’ll update my post.
The swamp sticks together on most issues.
3 years ago
3 years ago
Reply to
AR154U☑ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ DEPLORABLE 2020
unemployed, so they take food stamps as donations?
3 years ago
Reply to
Halal Bacon
ols swastikas for George send them to
Auschwitz concentration camp
Soros
3 years ago
Reply to
AR154U☑ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ DEPLORABLE 2020
unemployed, so they take food stamps as donations?
3 years ago
This should surprise no one. The dems have never been known for honesty and integrity.
3 years ago
The democRATS have perfected ways to have money funnelled into their coffers from anonymous donors, fronting for the Chinese government.
3 years ago
This would actually be illegal if our chicken crap justice system were not still in bed with the kenyan muslim and the first tranny.
3 years ago
Meanwhile Democrats and the Deep State actors are busy alluding to a nebulous narrative that Russia is again interfering in the election to help Trump be re-elected. These wind up toys will just double down and keep spouting their version of “truth” given to them by their globalist masters.
3 years ago
Sporos! May he rot in hell
3 years ago
Yeah right you’re ” unemployed ” lets see i get 420 bucks a week – thats it – i think i will give a rat a 100 bucks of that in the hopes ” said ” rat will increase my unemployment benefits if elected ..
3 years ago
Reply to
volksnut
You will get less if not kicked off of benefits.
How thoughtless of me…. I forget to add that I sincerely hope your situation gets back to normal. Sometimes I get too focused on something.
3 years ago
Organized crime money laundering…and there is no investigation…
The democrats are working to steal the election AT ALL COSTS…to avoid a republican win of POTUS, the House & Senate. The goal is to stop the appointment of “Constitutionalist” judges to the supreme court and judiciary committees that would prosecute crimes committed by democrats (and some RINOs)…which have been covered up by deep state corruption.
We MUST work locally to expose and/or prevent fraud voting which will be enabled by largely mail in votes.
NO votes, post marked after election day MUST NOT be accepted…and ALL mail in votes, not done thru legal “absentee” processes MUST be questioned and verified! NO third party conducted or harvested mail in vote should be accepted!
3 years ago
Reply to
John Roberts
A.G. Barr does nothing.
Do you think that would be tolerated under Obama’s Loretta Lynch or
Eric Holder?
3 years ago
It hasn’t stopped!
We are overwhelmingly corrupt.
Schumer and Pelosi-Aligned Groups Funnel Millions in Secret Cash Into 2020 Elections
Joe Schoffstall – SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 4:59 AM
…
Liberal advocacy groups closely aligned with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) have pushed more than $12 million in dark money contributions into the 2020 elections, filings show.
Majority Forward, a nonprofit with ties to Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC, has pushed $10.6 million in direct contributions into the election, while House Majority Forward, a nonprofit that is linked to Pelosi’s House Majority PAC, has poured $1.6 million into 2020 efforts. The cash ultimately benefits liberal politicians, who routinely vow to rid politics of dark money.
https://freebeacon.com/2020-election/schumer-and-pelosi-aligned-groups-funnel-millions-in-secret-cash-into-2020-elections/?utm_source=actengage&utm_campaign=FreedomMail&utm_medium=email
3 years ago
george soros does NOT have a job? Hmmmmm
3 years ago
MAOIST CHINA IS THE BORG COMING TO ASSIMILATE US BY ALL MEANS POSSIBLE! https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/09/david-p-goldman-video-chinas-plan-control-fourth-frontpagemagcom/ TELLS US ALL ABOUT IT! YOU BETTER BELIEVE THEY ARE HELPING OUT CHINA JOE THEIR CANDIDATE! SUPER SEPT RIGHTISTS!
