{"id":2647504,"date":"2026-08-20T17:26:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T21:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/actblue-cofounder-pleads-the-fifth-during-house-deposition\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T17:32:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T21:32:22","slug":"actblue-cofounder-pleads-the-fifth-during-house-deposition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/actblue-cofounder-pleads-the-fifth-during-house-deposition\/","title":{"rendered":"ActBlue cofounder pleads the Fifth during House deposition"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Factblue-cofounder-pleads-the-fifth-during-house-deposition%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2647504&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>ActBlue cofounder Matt DeBergalis invoked his Fifth Amendment rights multiple times during a closed-door deposition in a congressional inquiry into the fundraising platform. The hearing, conducted by House committees, lasted under 30 minutes amid Republican concerns over ActBlue\u2019s practices related to foreign and illegal donations. Even though ActBlue denies any law violations and claims it has measures in place to prevent illegal contributions, republican lawmakers remain suspicious, questioning what the organization might be hiding. The investigation, initiated in 2023, scrutinizes ActBlue\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-dig-into-democrat-fundraising-platforms-shady-donor-verification-process\/\" title=\"GOP investigates questionable donor verification process in ....\">donor verification procedures<\/a>, including past practices like not requiring CVV codes, which have as been implemented. Previous reports suggest that employees knew foreign actors exploited the platform but did not take serious action.ActBlue\u2019s current CEO also invoked the Fifth Amendment during earlier hearings. the inquiry comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with Democrats asserting the investigation is partisan, while Republicans aim to determine if foreign influence or frauds have infiltrated campaign funding through ActBlue.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/act-blue\/\">ActBlue<\/a> cofounder Matt DeBergalis invoked his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fifth-amendment\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"2730\">Fifth Amendment<\/a> right against self<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-oversight-posts-anthony-bernals-biden-autopen-deposition-video\/\" title=\"House Oversight posts Anthony Bernal&#039;s Biden autopen deposition video\">-incrimination multiple times<\/a> on Thursday during a closed-door deposition in a congressional investigation of the Democratic fundraising platform.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The interview before the House Administration, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-judiciary-committee\/\">House Judiciary<\/a>, and Oversight and Government Reform committees lasted less than half an hour, according to two sources familiar with the hearing. Lawmakers had sought testimony from the cofounder of Democrats\u2019 largest <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fundraising\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1554\">fundraising<\/a> apparatus as part of a joint Republican-led inquiry into allegations that ActBlue\u2019s fraud-prevention practices allowed fraudulent or foreign donations to enter U.S. political campaigns.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4695155\/actblue-cofounder-matt-debergalis-pleads-fifth-house-deposition\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>ActBlue cofounder pleads the Fifth during House deposition<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4694387\/tulsi-gabbard-health-update-husband-battle-not-over\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Tulsi Gabbard shares health update on husband: \u2018The battle isn\u2019t over yet\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4694275\/dsa-embarrassing-high-college-students-sarah-bedford\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DSA ideas are \u2018embarrassing\u2019 and sound like they come from \u2018high college students\u2019: Sarah Bedford<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The development was first reported by Fox News, which reported DeBergalis was seen entering and leaving the committee room within <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/actblue-co-founder-pleads-fifth-amendment-closed-door-house-gop-grilling\">roughly 25 minutes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ActBlue has repeatedly denied violating the law and has rejected claims that it knowingly permitted illegal foreign contributions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the response \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 prompted suspicions among Republican lawmakers in Washington.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat is ActBlue hiding?\u201d Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) posted to X Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What is ActBlue hiding? <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KYYfpOFnuc\">https:\/\/t.co\/KYYfpOFnuc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepEliCrane\/status\/2090497221187768652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans have examined whether ActBlue adequately verified donors and whether the organization misled Congress about its safeguards. The House Administration Committee opened its investigation in 2023, focusing in part on ActBlue\u2019s previous practice of not requiring donors to provide the security code, known as a CVV, printed on their credit cards. The platform has since made CVV verification mandatory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A report released by the committees in April detailed that ActBlue <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cha.house.gov\/2026\/4\/new-report-details-illicit-foreign-donations-and-mass-resignations-at-actblue\">employees allegedly knew<\/a> foreign and domestic actors were exploiting the platform, but did not treat the threat seriously. The committees have also subpoenaed current and former ActBlue employees. ActBlue\u2019s current chief executive, Regina Wallace-Jones, invoked the Fifth Amendment during a public congressional hearing in June.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4602869\/actblue-ceo-pleads-the-fifth\/\">ACTBLUE CEO PLEADS THE FIFTH DURING CONGRESSIONAL QUESTIONING ABOUT FOREIGN DONATIONS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The investigation comes less than three months before the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11675\">2026 midterm elections<\/a>. Democratic candidates and organizations continue to use ActBlue, which reportedly processed $586 million for Democratic candidates, causes, and groups during the second quarter of 2026. The platform says it has raised roughly $20 billion since its creation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic-party\/\">Democrats<\/a> and their allies have characterized the investigations as partisan efforts intended to weaken the party\u2019s campaign finance infrastructure before the midterm elections. Republicans say the inquiry is intended to determine whether foreign money or fraudulent donations have entered federal campaigns and whether ActBlue accurately described its safeguards to Congress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ActBlue cofounder Matt DeBergalis invoked Fifth Amendment rights in brief deposition<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2647505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/actblue.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[23495,33926,58728],"class_list":["post-2647504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-actblue","tag-campaign-finance","tag-house-deposition"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/actblue.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2647504"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2647508,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647504\/revisions\/2647508"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2647505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2647504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2647504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2647504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}