What’s Next for ActBlue? DOJ Probe, Update, Enhancements & Looking Ahead
- Zack Arnold
- Oct 24
- 4 min read
Earlier this year, we wrote about how ActBlue is fighting back the administration’s attacks – and standing firm as a trusted tool for Democratic campaigns. Now, as we move deeper into the 2026-cycle planning phase, ActBlue is once again at a turning point.
Between a federal investigation, new compliance pressures, an organizational expansion, and new tools aimed at smaller campaigns, the platform’s evolution matters for every campaign counting on small-dollar donors and grassroots momentum.
Here’s what campaign teams need to know and why your compliance and fundraising plan should reflect what’s coming.
ActBlue’s Expanding Role
Starting off with enhancements, in August 2025, ActBlue introduced Raise by ActBlue, a new self-serve fundraising platform designed for down-ballot campaigns and local candidates.Raise offers an easy setup, modern donation forms, and built-in QR code sharing, giving smaller campaigns access to the same digital fundraising sophistication as national operations. (Source: ActBlue Blog – “Introducing Raise”)
ActBlue isn’t just a donation processor anymore. Following its September 2025 acquisition of Impactive (formerly known as OutVote), the platform is also broadening into organizing, texting, relational outreach, and voter contact — combining fundraising and grassroots tools under one roof. This “Campaign in a Box” approach means that smaller campaigns can now access digital tools once reserved for large, national operations. For campaign teams, that means ActBlue could soon serve as a hub for recruiting, mobilizing, and engaging supporters linking fundraising, compliance, and outreach within a single ecosystem. (Source: Politico, Sept. 17, 2025)
Compliance Remains Critical
Even as ActBlue expands, it’s operating under tighter scrutiny.
In October 2025, the state of Maine fined ActBlue $100,000 for submitting a campaign finance report 14 days late, covering $1.2 million in transactions. It’s a clear reminder that even established platforms are not immune from compliance obligations and that deadlines and data integrity matter more than ever.
More significantly, in April 2025, the White House issued a presidential memorandum directing the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate online fundraising platforms naming ActBlue directly and raising concerns about potential “straw” donations and foreign sources. Then, in June 2025, multiple House committees issued subpoenas demanding testimony from ActBlue employees regarding alleged weaknesses in fraud-prevention practices. (Source: ActBlue fined $100k, Sept 25, 2025)
The DOJ Investigation
While October 21 marked the DOJ’s 180-day deadline to report findings on ActBlue, it’s unclear whether those results will be delayed. The ongoing government shutdown, now entering its third week, has frozen many federal operations, including parts of the DOJ’s investigative work. An inquiry about the status of the investigation went unanswered due to the shutdown’s impact on operations.
ActBlue has declined to comment on the investigation’s status. However, in their blog post earlier this year, the organization called the allegations “completely baseless” and vowed to continue providing “a safe, secure fundraising platform for the millions of grassroots donors who rely on us.”
“Let’s be clear about what this is: Donald Trump and his accomplices in the Republican Party are targeting ActBlue as part of their brazen attack on democracy in America,” the blog post stated. “The recent escalation by the White House is further weaponization of the instruments of federal power by Donald Trump to stamp out all political, electoral, and ideological opposition.”
Despite the uncertainty, there’s been no indication of wrongdoing, and ActBlue continues to operate normally, a testament to its role as a pillar of Democratic digital fundraising.
What the DOJ and House Probes Mean for Campaigns
The investigations into ActBlue mark a new era in political technology oversight. Even if no enforcement action follows, the message is clear:
Public and media scrutiny of digital fundraising platforms is growing.
Lawmakers are signaling interest in new legislation around verification, CVV rules, and foreign-source compliance.
Campaign transparency is now part of your media strategy, the tools you use are as visible as your message.
Despite heightened scrutiny, ActBlue remains the gold standard for Democratic fundraising infrastructure with over 16,000 campaigns continuing to use it, 600,000 new donors joined the fight, and raised almost half a billion in donations in Q3 2025 alone. (Source: ActBlue's Q3 Report, Oct 22, 2025)
As the platform evolves, your campaign must evolve with it, integrating compliance planning, vendor oversight, digital strategy, and fundraising execution into one seamless system.
Final Thought: Still the Gold Standard — But Evolving
At Princeton Strategies, we’ve long stood alongside ActBlue, even when it faced political pressure. Earlier this year, we reaffirmed that “Princeton Strategies is proud to use tools that are standing up to the administration.” That commitment still stands today. Despite the scrutiny, ActBlue has evolved, learned, and grown stronger, expanding its capabilities and deepening its value to campaigns nationwide.
We continue to help campaigns leverage trusted tools like ActBlue, keeping teams compliant, efficient, and donor-ready. Because winning isn’t just about raising funds — it’s about raising trust. Let’s map your 2026 fundraising and compliance strategy together.
