A new investigation shows how one Democratic firm has built a self-dealing nexus of shady PACs, while ActBlue, the fundraising powerhouse, finally takes some critical steps to police the ecosystem.
After receiving multiple fundraising text messages from organizations and candidates I never heard of, I did complain to act blue. The response was, we don't give your information to anyone but those candidates to whom you've contributed. Not a very satisfactory answer.
This is different -- they are now explicitly saying they will police certain kinds of bad behavior. They can't stop groups who have rented or copied your email or phone number from using it -- but now they are saying they will rein in a variety of deceptive fundraising asks.
Thank you, Micah. While I can't document any financial wrong-doing, I HAVE started unsubscribing to any solicitations from ActBlue, at least until I have more confidence in the Democrats and all their fundraising arms. Count me as someone fed up with the empty hyperbole and repetitiveness. Also, as someone who will work hard for and donate to anyone willing to be a real warrior.
It's possible that this is why Actblue finally decided to act! But they are just a clearinghouse -- the solicitations you are getting aren't from ActBlue, they are from candidates or groups using its payment processing services.
Thank u for writing this. So many ordinary regular people Dem donors are so fed up with the Mothership- like texts & emails, I will never respond to them . But huge risk to party that many of those people will never now donate to any Dem candidate since they don’t know who they can trust their hard earned dollars to!
The scam of fundraising probably will never stop. The incentives are simply aligned with the scammers and the Democratic politicians and consultants who suck from the teat of the money machine.
On Act Blue. I hope that they will police these scam artists but the devil is in the incentives. Actblue is incented to push more and more money through its system as they take a percentage of each donation. I hope I'm wrong, but they, as well, hope that people will move on and quickly forget so the money rolls in.
We agree that without more public pressure, the status quo will hold. But you are mistaken about one thing -- ActBlue doesn't automatically take a percentage from each donation. Donors are nudged to leave a tip but you can choose to leave nothing.
ActBlue is a nonprofit so they are not driven by greed. They were created to serve as a "utility" for Democratic fundraising at a time when each committee had to set up its own merchant account, which was expensive and a technical nightmare. (I know because I set one up in 2001.)
As a "utility" they must be responsive to their biggest customers, led by the DNC, DSCC, DCCC, etc. So if Mothership is the vendor used by these customers, they are likely to go easy on Mothership.
That's why Micah is exactly right - grassroots donors must complain loudly to ActBlue about abusive practices so ActBlue puts pressure on agencies like Mothership to cut the crap.
After receiving multiple fundraising text messages from organizations and candidates I never heard of, I did complain to act blue. The response was, we don't give your information to anyone but those candidates to whom you've contributed. Not a very satisfactory answer.
This is different -- they are now explicitly saying they will police certain kinds of bad behavior. They can't stop groups who have rented or copied your email or phone number from using it -- but now they are saying they will rein in a variety of deceptive fundraising asks.
Understood. Maybe I am naïve but it wouldn't have occurred to me that other groups could rent or copy my information, and that is pretty annoying
Thank you, Micah. While I can't document any financial wrong-doing, I HAVE started unsubscribing to any solicitations from ActBlue, at least until I have more confidence in the Democrats and all their fundraising arms. Count me as someone fed up with the empty hyperbole and repetitiveness. Also, as someone who will work hard for and donate to anyone willing to be a real warrior.
It's possible that this is why Actblue finally decided to act! But they are just a clearinghouse -- the solicitations you are getting aren't from ActBlue, they are from candidates or groups using its payment processing services.
1.6 percent? I had assumed it was more like 4 percent. Blatant thievery, mass disinfo and fraud. It would be great to prosecute these buzzards. Pl
Thank u for writing this. So many ordinary regular people Dem donors are so fed up with the Mothership- like texts & emails, I will never respond to them . But huge risk to party that many of those people will never now donate to any Dem candidate since they don’t know who they can trust their hard earned dollars to!
The scam of fundraising probably will never stop. The incentives are simply aligned with the scammers and the Democratic politicians and consultants who suck from the teat of the money machine.
On Act Blue. I hope that they will police these scam artists but the devil is in the incentives. Actblue is incented to push more and more money through its system as they take a percentage of each donation. I hope I'm wrong, but they, as well, hope that people will move on and quickly forget so the money rolls in.
We agree that without more public pressure, the status quo will hold. But you are mistaken about one thing -- ActBlue doesn't automatically take a percentage from each donation. Donors are nudged to leave a tip but you can choose to leave nothing.
I know. But the more money? The more chance they get a cut.
ActBlue is a nonprofit so they are not driven by greed. They were created to serve as a "utility" for Democratic fundraising at a time when each committee had to set up its own merchant account, which was expensive and a technical nightmare. (I know because I set one up in 2001.)
As a "utility" they must be responsive to their biggest customers, led by the DNC, DSCC, DCCC, etc. So if Mothership is the vendor used by these customers, they are likely to go easy on Mothership.
That's why Micah is exactly right - grassroots donors must complain loudly to ActBlue about abusive practices so ActBlue puts pressure on agencies like Mothership to cut the crap.
I understand but it doesn't change the fact that act blue gets more money the more money runs through them. It's basic math.
https://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-debate-about-saving-democracy-that.html?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwME4-lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHp1Sb4O7Ui-wyh7MwZwgStAHq59BQxBuAwwAhQy3KH1gFa0JBkORhaRkCCyy_aem_qLhGmJfW0iaofkUYuJA_kg&m=1