ActBlue strengthens donor passport checks following pressure from House Republicans

Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue introduced stricter passport checks for donors living abroad on Sunday, the Washington Examiner reported. The change comes after House Republicans identified vulnerabilities in the platform's screening procedures for foreign contributions. Representative Jim Jordan pressed the organization for answers regarding previous lapses. [1]

Under the new system, overseas donors must submit passport images and undergo identity verification, according to the Washington Examiner. The previous setup allowed donors to enter passport numbers without validation. BizPac Review reported that Republicans viewed the policy shift as a confession of prior shortcomings. [1][2]

ActBlue was founded in 2004 by Matt DeBergalis and Ben Rahn as a political action committee registered with the Federal Election Commission. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the organization serves as an online platform to facilitate small-dollar donations to Democratic candidates and causes. [4]

The updated verification requirements will allow United States citizens living overseas to resume making political contributions through the platform, the Washington Examiner reported. [1]