ActBlue CEO invokes Fifth Amendment to lawmakers

ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones declined to answer questions from lawmakers during a House Administration Committee hearing on June 10, invoking her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. The hearing marked a key moment in a yearslong investigation into the Democratic fundraising platform, led by Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., which has scrutinized allegations of fraudulent donations and misleading responses to congressional inquiries since 2023. Wallace-Jones had previously published an op-ed in *The Washington Post*, arguing that if lawmakers sought to discuss campaign finance legislation, they should also question WinRed, the Republican fundraising platform. Republicans on the committee, including Reps. Jim Jordan, James R. Comer, Jamie Raskin, and Robert Garcia, pressed her on claims of misleading Congress, particularly regarding how ActBlue screened overseas contributions. A *New York Times* report in April had cited outside counsel advising Wallace-Jones that her prior responses to Republican questions may have been misleading. Democrats on the panel, including Raskin, framed the hearing as part of a broader political campaign, pointing to recent testimony from the Southern Poverty Law Center and highlighting Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against ActBlue, filed in April. Republicans countered that the hearing focused on ActBlue’s alleged deception, with Steil emphasizing the need for answers. Wallace-Jones’ attorney had requested a subpoena before the hearing, which the committee issued. The session grew tense as Republicans asked unanswered questions about the investigation, while Democrats redirected attention to WinRed. Wallace-Jones consistently declined to respond, stating she was acting on legal advice. The House Administration Committee, which oversees congressional operations and federal elections, has increasingly prioritized election-related oversight in recent years.