ActBlue, the primary online fundraising platform for Democratic campaigns, has filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The lawsuit seeks to declare Paxton’s investigation and related state civil action unconstitutional, aiming to halt his ongoing probes into the platform.
Paxton initiated his inquiry in December 2023 after social media claims surfaced about potentially large numbers of small contributions through ActBlue’s system. By August 2024, the probe expanded following public scrutiny. In October 2025, Paxton subpoenaed ActBlue, which provided thousands of pages of documents and extensive staff hours in response. The attorney general filed his Texas lawsuit in April 2026, alleging ActBlue misled the public about fraud prevention measures.
ActBlue contends the investigation is politically motivated, arguing Paxton retaliates against protected political speech due to the platform’s role supporting Democratic causes. The organization claims it raised over $568 million for Democratic candidates and aligned initiatives in early 2026 and disputes allegations of fraudulent contributions by noting that attempts using American Express gift cards were automatically declined by its system.
Paxton has publicly stated ActBlue is attempting to undermine him while he pursues accountability, maintaining his office remains committed to investigating potential irregularities in the platform’s donation processes. The federal lawsuit now forces a legal determination on whether Paxton’s actions constitute unconstitutional interference with political fundraising operations.