BS BRIEF:
- A Michigan investigative report has raised questions about campaign finance records tied to ActBlue, after an 88-year-old donor told reporter Charlie LeDuff she did not make thousands of donations attributed to her in federal filings.
- The donor, Elizabeth Waffle, said she has made some legitimate Democratic donations, but denied contributing anywhere near the roughly $150,000 reflected in records reviewed by the reporter, including dozens of donations attributed to Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign.
- ActBlue continues to face congressional and legal scrutiny over its donor verification practices, though no public finding has established that the donations in Waffle’s name were fraudulent or that El-Sayed’s campaign engaged in wrongdoing.
QUESTIONS EMERGE OVER ACTBLUE DONATION RECORDS AFTER MICHIGAN WOMAN DISPUTES $150K IN CONTRIBUTIONS
A new investigation is placing renewed attention on Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue after an elderly Michigan woman said federal campaign finance records dramatically overstate the political donations made in her name.
Veteran Michigan journalist Charlie LeDuff reported that Elizabeth Waffle, 88, of rural Milan, was shocked when shown Federal Election Commission records indicating she had made 14,696 political contributions totaling more than $150,000 over the past five years.
“One hundred and fifty thousand?” Waffle responded. “Hell no. I don’t have that kind of money.”
According to the report, Waffle acknowledged making occasional small-dollar donations to Democratic candidates through ActBlue but insisted she never authorized thousands of contributions and never donated anything close to the amount reflected in campaign finance records.
Is El-Sayed’s Campaign Funded by Elderly Fake Donors?
ActBlue says an 88-year-old widow has given over $150k to Dems over the past five years, but she says that’s not possibleBy Charlie LeDuff @Charlieleduff
Milan — Out in the country on a rutted dirt road lined with corn… pic.twitter.com/NiCPPARtMR
— Michigan Enjoyer (@mich_enjoyer) July 22, 2026
The records reviewed by LeDuff included 47 contributions attributed to the U.S. Senate campaign of Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate in Michigan who has built much of his campaign around grassroots fundraising and a pledge to reject corporate PAC money.
LeDuff also reported that donation records appeared to list contributions from two separate addresses associated with Waffle on the same day. Waffle, whose home burned down several years ago, explained she temporarily lived in an apartment before moving into a trailer on her property but said she could not explain the donation history.
“This is very abnormal,” she said after reviewing the documents. “I think it’s wrong, and I think there’s something in there that’s off.”
Neither the reporting nor publicly available information has established how the discrepancies occurred. There is no public evidence that El-Sayed’s campaign knowingly received improper donations or that the campaign participated in any wrongdoing.
In one notable example, an 88 year old woman who lives in a trailer and has no computer is listed as having donated over $150K to Dem campaigns. Including 47 times to @AbdulElSayed ‘s Senate campaign.
Where is this money really coming from?
Needs to be investigated. https://t.co/JRP6ZLGwSX pic.twitter.com/KxsbsyCcsY
— AG (@AGHamilton29) July 22, 2026
The report nevertheless adds to mounting scrutiny surrounding ActBlue.
Congressional Republicans have spent months examining the fundraising platform’s donor verification practices, while several state officials have opened investigations into allegations involving identity misuse, straw donations and foreign contributions. ActBlue has repeatedly denied facilitating illegal donations and has said it employs fraud-detection systems and returns contributions that violate campaign finance rules. The organization has characterized many of the investigations as politically motivated.
El-Sayed’s campaign has emphasized that it relies heavily on small-dollar online fundraising. Recent campaign appeals continue to promote his refusal to accept corporate PAC money while encouraging supporters to contribute through ActBlue.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Michigan Enjoyer – Is El-Sayed’s Campaign Funded by Elderly Fake Donors?
- Twitchy – ActBlue Fraud Hits El-Sayed Campaign: 88yo No-Computer Granny ‘Donated’ $150K (and 47 Times)
- ActBlue – Abdul El-Sayed campaign fundraising page and contribution disclosures.
- Background on ongoing ActBlue investigations and responses.
