A new inquiry has been initiated regarding one of Congress’s most vocal progressive Democrats. On April 2, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) commenced a formal investigation into Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) following a complaint lodged by the conservative Coolidge-Reagan Foundation. This complaint, filed on March 26, raises concerns about dubious contributions to Crockett’s 2024 re-election campaign made through ActBlue, the primary fundraising platform for the Democratic Party.
In a letter from the FEC to the foundation, it was stated, “The respondents will be notified of this complaint within five business days.” The correspondence, authored by FEC Assistant General Counsel Wanda D. Brown to Dan Backer, an attorney in Washington representing the foundation, further notes, “You will be informed as soon as the Federal Election Commission (FEC) reaches a final decision regarding your client’s complaint. If you receive any further information related to this matter, please send it to the Office of the General Counsel.”
The complaint highlights a particular donor who purportedly made 53 individual contributions amounting to $595 to Rep. Crockett’s campaign via the ActBlue platform, as reported by the Daily Signal. The filing attributes these donations to Randy Best, a 73-year-old resident of Texas. However, in a video shared by Crockett’s potential challenger for 2026, Sholdon Daniels, Best’s wife claimed she was unaware of the contributions. The complaint suggests this raises concerns that Best—and possibly other individuals—may not have actually authorized the donations recorded under their names on ActBlue.
The overarching issue highlighted in the FEC complaint filed by the Coolidge-Reagan Foundation is that Rep. Crockett’s campaign has garnered approximately $870,000 in contributions via ActBlue. This amount includes $595 linked to Randy Best, a resident of Plano, Texas. The FEC complaint states, “Rep. Crockett, through her principal campaign committee Respondent Jasmine for US, has received thousands of other donations through ActBlue totaling over $870,000.” It remains uncertain how many of these contributions may be fraudulent transactions made in the names of unsuspecting individuals who did not actually authorize the donations.
ActBlue’s fundraising methods have faced criticism from congressional Republicans and GOP state attorneys general. The FEC complaint references previous reports by The Daily Signal, which indicated that several elderly individuals were unaware of donations made in their names via ActBlue. Rep. Crockett has 15 days to address the allegations, although the FEC frequently allows for extensions of 30 or 60 days, as noted by attorney Dan Backer. Furthermore, Rep. Crockett is not the only Democrat benefiting from contributions through the ActBlue platform; Republican-led inquiries, including one by the GOP-controlled House Oversight and Accountability Committee, are also investigating ActBlue’s overall fundraising practices.
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