Kimberly Peeler-Allen, a board member of the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination while testifying before a House probe investigating allegations of foreign donations to the organization. Peeler-Allen's testimony occurred amid a joint investigation by the House Administration, Judiciary, and Oversight Committees.
The probe, initiated by the Committee on House Administration in 2023, is examining whether ActBlue has accepted illicit foreign donations and failed to prevent fraud. Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., has expressed frustration with ActBlue-affiliated individuals refusing to cooperate with the investigation. "We've had individuals come, in public testimony, and plead the Fifth. They have a right to do that. And I understand why they did that. But I think the American people deserve to know exactly what's going on," Steil stated. He emphasized the need to ensure ActBlue has fraud prevention protocols in place to prevent foreign funds from entering U.S. elections, noting the platform has facilitated approximately $20 billion in donations to Democratic campaigns and causes since its inception.
Peeler-Allen's decision to plead the Fifth follows a similar action by ActBlue co-founder Matt DeBergalis, who invoked the same right during his deposition on August 20. ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones also invoked her Fifth Amendment privilege during a hearing in June.
Concerns about ActBlue's fundraising practices were amplified by a New York Times report in April. The report indicated that ActBlue's legal counsel advised the organization that CEO Regina Wallace-Jones may have misled Congress in a letter responding to a Republican inquiry. Wallace-Jones had described ActBlue's screening process for donations as "multilayered," but the Times noted that ActBlue's counsel indicated the organization did not always follow these described steps, posing a "substantial risk for ActBlue."