Another Top ActBlue Official Pleads the 5th Amid Congressional Investigation

The co-founder of the Democrat fundraising juggernaut ActBlue invoked the Fifth Amendment in a closed-door deposition before three House committees, sources familiar with the matter told the Daily Signal.

Matt DeBergalis, co-founder of the platform, appeared before the House Judiciary Committee, the House Administration Committee, and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Thursday morning to answer questions about alleged fraudulent donations. The deposition lasted fewer than 30 minutes.

House committees, as well as the Justice Department, are investigating whether ActBlue has adequately policed fraudulent donations through its portal, particularly illegal foreign donations. The organization has denied any wrongdoing and called the investigations politically motivated.

In June, ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones invoked her Fifth Amendment rights when she was called to appear before the House Administration Committee on June 10.

Fox News first reported the development.

ActBlue has said it has a strenuous process to prevent fraudulent or foreign donations.

During the June 10 hearing, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, questioned Wallace-Jones, “Your board chairman said ActBlue accepted up to $38 million in contributions in 2024 that had the signs of foreign origin. How much fraud is too much for all?” Wallace-Jones invoked her Fifth Amendment right.

ActBlue Board Chairwoman Kimberly Peeler-Allen had told the New York Times in an article published in April that “less than 1%” of contributions from the 2024 election cycle had signs that they were from foreign countries. The platform raised $38.2 billion in the 2024 election cycle.

In an April letter to the committee chairs, ActBlue lawyer Vincent Cohen asserted that the organization has “built a robust platform with anti-fraud technology.”