Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., sharply criticized the Republican-led investigation into Democratic fundraising powerhouse ActBlue on Wednesday, arguing that the probe reflects a broader pattern of targeting prominent Black women who have found themselves at odds with President Donald Trump and his allies.
The comments came as House Republicans continue scrutinizing ActBlue and its CEO, Regina Wallace-Jones, over allegations that the organization may have accepted illegal donations and failed to adequately prevent foreign money from entering the U.S. political system.
Speaking during congressional proceedings, Sewell framed the investigation as part of a larger effort by Republicans to use government power against political opponents.
“Over and over again, Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has harassed Black women with bogus lawsuits,” Sewell said.
Republican lawmakers have intensified their focus on ActBlue in recent months, seeking records related to international communications and examining whether the organization misled Congress about its safeguards against illegal foreign contributions. Investigators are also looking into whether ActBlue complied fully with congressional requests and subpoenas concerning its donation-screening procedures.
The congressional review coincides with an April directive from President Trump calling for an investigation into the fundraising platform. The White House has argued that concerns exist regarding potential attempts by foreign nationals to influence American elections through online fundraising systems.
“There is evidence to suggest that foreign nationals are seeking to misuse online fundraising platforms to improperly influence American elections,” the White House said in a statement announcing the effort.
ActBlue has strongly rejected those allegations. Wallace-Jones has repeatedly maintained that the organization employs extensive measures to verify donations and prevent improper contributions from being processed.
“Our approach is multilayered, with checks and confirmations occurring throughout the donation process to verify donors and donor information,” Wallace-Jones previously told Fox News Digital.
According to Wallace-Jones, those safeguards include requiring Card Verification Values for credit card transactions, using IP address monitoring to identify potentially foreign-sourced donations, employing industry-standard Address Verification Systems, and conducting manual reviews when necessary.
For Sewell, however, the controversy surrounding ActBlue cannot be separated from what she views as a pattern of investigations involving Black women in positions of authority.
“This investigation is just one more example of Republicans and President Trump using power of his office to harass and intimidate anyone willing to challenge him,” Sewell said. “The Trump Department of Justice has used its power to intimidate and victimize communities of color, especially Black Americans.”
She pointed to several other high-profile figures as examples, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Rep. LaMonica McIver, arguing that each has faced scrutiny after challenging Trump or his political agenda.
“We should not forget the harassment of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook, the harassment of the New York Attorney General, Tish James and the harassment of our colleague Congresswoman LaMonica McIver,” Sewell said.
Given that backdrop, Sewell said she was not surprised by the current focus on ActBlue and Wallace-Jones.
“It is not surprising that this Republican-led committee is now attacking ActBlue and its CEO, Ms. Wallace-Jones,” she said.
