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New Report Accuses ActBlue of Fraudulent Donations and Misleading Congress

After receiving new documents, three House Republican-led committees released an updated report on the investigation into the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue.

The Report: The new report released on Wednesday accused ActBlue of covering up fraudulent political donations and lying to Congress about its security policies. The report said that "ActBlue, in its own words, decided to take 'a more lenient approach' to fraud prevention in 2024," and "internal trainings directed ActBlue's fraud prevention team to 'look for reasons to accept contributions' rather than to examine them closely for indicators of fraud." The report also alleged that ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones misled Congress, and that the company appeared to be "knowing and willful in accepting foreign contributions." The report also highlighted internal ActBlue email and Slack communications that allegedly show the organization engaged in whistleblower retaliation.

RELATED: ActBlue CEO Pleads Fifth 21 Times in Congressional Probe on Alleged Illegal Donations

"Should Send Shockwaves": Townhall (Right bias) highlighted recent reporting that showed "an elderly Michigan woman made 15,000 donations totaling more than $150,000 to various candidates," adding that the "woman — who lives in a trailer on a fixed income — denied making those donations." The findings of the report, according to Townhall, raise questions over "How much questionable money made it through" and "who will be held accountable," adding that the "report should send shockwaves through the Democrat Party."

"Escalating Efforts": AllSides did not find any outlet from the left covering the report. However, The Washington Post (Lean Left) published an article the same day the report was released highlighting a law firm representing ActBlue presenting evidence to congressional investigators to show that the platform did not mislead Congress. The article said that the platform "has been embroiled in years of GOP investigations" and "is escalating efforts to clear its name." However, "GOP lawmakers weren't convinced," according to an unnamed Republican, who said ActBlue's new review was a "self-serving analysis." The article highlighted that "ActBlue and its supporters have painted the Republican probes as baseless and politically motivated," but also noted that in 2025, ActBlue lawyers informed the organization that CEO Wallace-Jones "may have misled Congress in her response because the steps for vetting foreign donations were not always followed."

"Warnings Weren't Heeded": The New York Post (Right) highlighted some of the policies used by ActBlue "with barely the appearance of proper vetting," which, according to the article, "let overseas money illegally flow to US campaigns and causes." A policy for passport verification, according to the report, uses "some very basic validation—number of characters—to ensure that the number entered is a valid passport number, but we do not verify the information in any other way." The article also noted that in early 2025, "lawyers for the platform had resigned" after claiming that "their warnings about the lax fraud safeguards weren't heeded."

"Pulls Back The Curtain": Daily Caller (Right) called ActBlue a "Democratic fundraising behemoth," saying that "the company may have recklessly laundered foreign money into American elections" and "CEO Regina Wallace-Jones may have perjured herself when she told Congress the platform is secure." The article explained that "When attorneys voiced concerns that the company may have broken the law, Wallace-Jones and others in ActBlue leadership simply retaliated against them." The outlet highlighted the running tally listed on the ActBlue's website, "shows the liberal money machine has raised nearly $20 billion as of Thursday," adding "How much of that enormous tranche originated abroad remains a complete mystery." The article said the "new congressional report pulls back the curtain" on Democratic fundraising.

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.

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Rising Gas Prices Prompt Midterm Speculation, Criticism of Trump

Gas prices increased to a national average of $4.44 on Thursday, with diesel fuel prices averaging at a record $6.40. The price surge prompted media speculation about if prices will continue to increase, how Trump has responded, and how this could affect midterm elections.

The Details: AAA found that national gas price averages increased from $4.31 to $4.44 since Sunday, with prices ranging from $3.92 per gallon in Indiana to $6.09 in California. Prices are still below the all-time national high of $5.02 per gallon in the summer of 2022 under President Biden. Average diesel prices are at the highest the US has seen, according to AAA.

For Context: The Hill (Center bias) and other outlets framed the gas price surge as a result of the U.S. war in Iran and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key waterway for more than a fifth of the world's oil distribution. Washington Post (Lean Left) reported that damage inflicted on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline could create a larger oil disruption that could further surge prices. The Post also alleged that "maritime tracking organizations say that far less oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz than the Trump administration claims."

Trump's Response: President Donald Trump said that the increased gas prices are "a very inexpensive price to pay for what we've done. Remember that. It's a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more." He also said prices are "going to come tumbling down."

How the Media Covered It: The Hill wrote that gas prices "could prove detrimental to Republicans in November" and that Republicans "are grappling with how to overcome Democrats' affordability message as energy prices continue to rise." Washington Post claimed that "American motorists have paid an additional estimated $107 billion in extra gasoline and diesel costs as a result of the war." It also alleged that the federal government "has few tools left to confront the spiraling costs." New York Post (Lean Right) highlighted stickers making fun of the president that critics have pasted on gas station pumps and packages of beef, placing blame on Trump for high prices. New York Post noted that the stickers, which feature the president's face with the phrase "I did that!" written underneath, are identical to stickers used in 2022 with former President Joe Biden's face when fuel prices surged.

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Travis Kelce Among Victims in Fraud Scheme

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was named as a victim in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme that took place between 2016 and 2023. Outlets on the right generally emphasized the perpetrator was an unauthorized immigrant while many outlets on the left omitted it completely.

The Details: Siddharth Jawahar was sentenced to 11 years in prison after taking over $35 million from investors to fund an "extravagant" lifestyle, according to the Justice Department. The department reported Jawahar used the money for "travel on private jets, stays at luxury hotels, a luxury apartment in Austin and New York City," memberships to private clubs and multiple spending sprees. He was ordered to pay $31.35 million in restitution to victims, which included Kelce and 64 others. It's unknown how much Kelce lost through the investments.

For Context: Between 2016 and 2023, Jawahar received more than $35 million from investors for his investment company called Swiftarc Capital LLC. According to the Justice Department, he only invested about $10 million. He also managed several additional investment entities. In January, he pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud.

Immigration Status: The Associated Press (Lean Left) cited court documents that showed Jawahar came into the US from India in 2005 and had since been living in the US without legal status. After his incitement, Jawahar allegedly tried to coach a victim into giving a favorable statement to the FBI, lied about his immigration status and finances, and tried to get his sister to remotely wipe his iPhone to hide evidence.

From the Right: Outlets on the right often emphasized Jawahar's immigration status in their headlines and at the beginning of their articles. The Daily Wire (Right bias) referred to Jawahar as "the illegal immigrant" throughout its piece. Breitbart (Right), The Blaze (Right) and Townhall (Right) all described Jawahar as an "illegal alien" in their headlines. Townhall wrote, "Democrats will tell us we can't deport illegal aliens who are non-violent. But Jawahar was a prolific criminal who scammed a lot of people, even though he looked like a banker."

From the Left: Many outlets on the left completely excluded Jawahar's immigration status, instead focusing on details of the case. This included People (Lean Left), NBC News (Lean Left), ABC News (Lean Left) and The Guardian (Left). NBC also omitted Jawahar's alleged attempt to get a victim to lie about his immigration status but noted him asking for a favorable statement and for his sister to wipe his phone. The outlet also quoted Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) who commended Jawahar's time in jail where he "chose accountability" and helped establish educational programs.

From the Center: NewsNation (Center) and Newsweek (Center) focused on Kelce's fame and his marriage to Taylor Swift. NewsNation included stats from his first NFL game of the season. Newsweek also included a section about Kelce and Swift's net worth. Both outlets also omitted Jawahar's immigration status.

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.

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