BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS — A federal judge has blocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from pursuing a lawsuit against Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, ruling that the case appears to be politically motivated and may have been filed to harm a political opponent.
U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns issued the ruling Thursday, siding with ActBlue’s request to halt Paxton’s April lawsuit. Paxton had accused the fundraising platform of facilitating fraudulent and foreign donations while allegedly misleading donors and regulators about its verification procedures.
In a 15-page order, Stearns wrote that the evidence suggested the lawsuit was filed in retaliation for ActBlue’s fundraising efforts on behalf of Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who is challenging Paxton in Texas’s upcoming Senate race.
“The lawsuit in Texas is undoubtedly an adverse action,” Stearns wrote, concluding that the record supported ActBlue’s claim that the case was politically motivated rather than focused on consumer protection.
Paxton has long argued that ActBlue’s donation system contains vulnerabilities that could allow illegal contributions, including potential foreign donations. Those concerns have been amplified by recent congressional investigations and media reports examining the platform’s internal controls. A New York Times report earlier this year cited internal company documents discussing concerns about foreign contributions and compliance procedures.
ActBlue has denied wrongdoing and maintains that it follows applicable campaign finance laws. The organization has also defended employees who invoked their Fifth Amendment rights during congressional investigations, arguing they were responding to what it characterized as partisan inquiries.
The ruling represents a significant legal setback for Paxton but does not resolve the broader questions surrounding ActBlue’s donation practices, which remain under scrutiny from congressional Republicans and other investigators.
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