(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue is once again under legal scrutiny after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a damning lawsuit accusing the group of deceptive practices and lax safeguards around foreign donations.
Paxton, who is running for the Republican nomination for Senate, announced the lawsuit Monday, calling it a landmark case.
The suit centers on longstanding accusations that ActBlue misled consumers and investigators about its efforts to block foreign donations.
“The radical left has relied on ActBlue as a way to funnel foreign donations and dark money into their political campaigns to subvert our laws and compromise the integrity of our elections,” Paxton said in a statement.
“ActBlue lied to Congress and to the American people, and I will ensure justice is served,” he added. “It has blatantly ignored state law that prohibits deceptive practices, and it must pay for its illegal conduct.”
Paxton’s lawsuit seeks $1 million in monetary relief, along with additional unspecified remedies.
Spanning 31 pages, the suit cites internal communications in which ActBlue employees reportedly discussed concerns about foreign donations.
It accuses ActBlue of one count of engaging in false, misleading or deceptive trade practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce; one count of causing confusion or misunderstanding as to the source, sponsorship, approval, or certification of goods or services; among other allegations.
Paxton’s accusations must be proven before a Texas court.
The lawsuit coincides with a federal investigation into similar allegations against ActBlue. It also follows reporting by the left-wing New York Times that ActBlue’s counsel warned of potential legal issues related to the fundraising platform CEO’s congressional testimony on foreign donation safeguards.
The attorneys reportedly warned that some statements may have been false or misleading, noting that foreign donations have entered the system.
ActBlue spokesperson De’Andra Roberts-LaBoo dismissed the accusations, telling Fox News that the lawsuit is “a thinly veiled attempt to distract from Ken Paxton’s numerous legal and ethical issues ahead of next month’s runoff.”
