Trump Orders Probe Into Foreign Election Contributions

President Donald Trump has ordered a federal investigation into alleged unlawful 'straw donor' and foreign contributions in U.S. elections, specifically targeting online fundraising platforms such as ActBlue. The move directs the Attorney General and Secretary of the Treasury to use all lawful authority to investigate claims that these platforms have been complicit in laundering excessive or prohibited donations, including through dummy accounts and prepaid cards. Congressional and press reports have cited evidence of fraud campaigns with foreign ties, including hundreds of donations from foreign IP addresses during the 2024 election cycle. Internal records and investigations suggest ActBlue's lax verification standards may have enabled such activities, prompting scrutiny of how widespread fraudulent contributions might be. The memorandum emphasizes that these actions threaten the integrity of the American electoral process and calls for a report on investigative findings to be delivered to the President. Both state and federal probes are underway, with concerns raised by Republican-led panels and legal actions from individuals alleging identity theft tied to political donations.