ActBlue filed a federal lawsuit in Boston on May 1 seeking to block Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from pursuing a state lawsuit and investigations the group calls unlawful political retribution. Paxton's April 20 Texas complaint accuses ActBlue of permitting masked donations via gift cards and prepaid debit cards and seeks penalties and a ban on those payment methods. ActBlue says the allegations are false, that its fraud-detection systems blocked test gift-card donations, and that Paxton is targeting the platform for its support of Democratic candidates, including Paxton's Senate opponent James Talarico.
ActBlue Sues To Block Texas AG Ken Paxton, Calling His Case 'Political Retribution'
FILE PHOTO: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) USA 2026 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, in Grapevine, Texas, U.S., March 28, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
BOSTON, May 1 — Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue filed a federal lawsuit in Massachusetts on May 1 seeking to block Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from pursuing investigations and a separate state lawsuit it calls unlawful political retribution.
ActBlue Asks Federal Court To Enjoin Paxton
ActBlue asked a U.S. district judge in Boston to enjoin Paxton from moving forward with a state-court action he filed on April 20 that accuses the organization of misleading Congress and the public about its donation-handling practices.
"Paxton's decision to use his government office to target ActBlue with legal sanctions as retribution for its protected speech and political association is an affront to the Constitution and must not be tolerated," ActBlue's lawyers wrote in the federal complaint.
Allegations In The Texas Case
Paxton's Texas complaint seeks financial penalties and an order barring ActBlue from permitting donations on its platform made with gift cards and prepaid debit cards. The suit alleges those payment methods can mask donors' true identities, enabling improper contributions — including from people outside the United States — and that ActBlue continued processing such donations despite saying in 2024 it would stop.
ActBlue's Response
In its federal filing, ActBlue described the Texas suit as part of a broader pattern of Republican-backed probes into online fundraising platforms — a wave of scrutiny that former President Donald Trump urged the U.S. Department of Justice to undertake last year. ActBlue called the Texas case "false and inflammatory" and said its own automated fraud-detection systems repeatedly rejected attempts by Paxton's investigators to use gift cards on the platform.
The Massachusetts-headquartered group accused Paxton of wielding his office to intimidate and harass political opponents in violation of the First Amendment, arguing the action amounts to unconstitutional retaliation for ActBlue's support of Democratic candidates.
Political Context
ActBlue noted it has helped raise about $19 billion for Democratic candidates and causes since its founding in 2004. The complaint specifically highlights that ActBlue processed contributions for James Talarico, the Democrat challenging Paxton in his Senate campaign, and says Paxton launched investigators the day after Talarico reported raising more than $2 million in 24 hours via ActBlue.
Paxton's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; editing by Rod Nickel.
Help us improve.
