Democratic fundraising giant ActBlue is using International Women's Day to celebrate its efforts to help women "build political power" and "live without the threat of violence." But the platform processes donations to powerful men accused of everything from strangling their wives to threatening to kill their wives.
ActBlue, which is used almost universally by Democratic candidates across the country, has come under fire for hosting candidates accused of sexual harassment. Last summer, the group booted then-New York governor Andrew Cuomo following sexual-harassment allegations from several staffers. But Cuomo's ouster was the exception, not the rule.
Here are 10 active ActBlue pages for Democratic candidates and causes mired in allegations of sexual misconduct and worse.
Tom Carper, Delaware senator
President Joe Biden's fellow Delaware Democrat has admitted on several occasions to slapping his wife so hard that it "caused some discoloration of her left eye and some puffiness." You can donate to him on ActBlue here.
Luis Sepúlveda, New York state senator
Last year, Sepúlveda—a prominent surrogate for Bernie Sanders—was arrested for strangling his wife during a domestic dispute. He lost his committee seats, but he's still fundraising away.
Al Franken, former Minnesota senator
Franken resigned in disgrace in 2018 after several women accused him of inappropriately touching them. In one instance Franken said such actions were his "right as an entertainer." Today, the entertainer is considering a return to office, and his PAC has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars on ActBlue alone.
Joe Morrissey, Virginia state senator
Morrissey briefly served time following the revelation that he was engaged in a sexual relationship with his 17-year-old secretary. Morrissey, who has been repeatedly disbarred in Virginia, later married the girl and fathered a child with her. Though he resigned from the Virginia House of Delegates following the scandal, he now serves in the Virginia Senate and hasn't let anything stop him from fundraising.
Raphael Warnock, Georgia senator
Warnock, who once ran a camp where children were abused, ran over his then-wife's foot with a car during a domestic dispute. Police body-camera footage shows his ex-wife telling cops, "I've tried to keep the way that he acts under wraps for a long time, and today he crossed the line." Fortunately for Warnock, donors don't seem to mind.
Sherrod Brown, Ohio senator
In 1986, Brown's then-wife filed for divorce, citing his "physical violence and abusive nature." Larke Brown says Sherrod Brown violated a restraining order and "struck and bullied" her "on several different occasions." Brown’s abuse "completely destroyed [her] peace of mind" and left her "extremely intimidated by him." Almost four decades later, Brown is still raking in the dough.
Alan Grayson, former Florida congressman
Grayson's ex-wife says she repeatedly called the police on her abusive husband over the course of their marriage, including once when Grayson allegedly threatened to kill her. These allegations dogged Grayson during his 2016 Senate campaign but haven't stopped him from raising funds to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) in 2022.
Keith Ellison, Minnesota attorney general
Ellison's ex-girlfriend says Minnesota's top cop once dragged her out of bed while screaming at her. She says that Ellison caused her "emotional pain through infidelity and dishonesty" throughout her relationship, a pattern for which he "had no remorse." He's still going strong.
Tony Cárdenas, California congressman
Cárdenas was sued by a woman who said he "fondled her breasts and genitals while driving her to the emergency room" when she was 16 years old. The woman eventually dropped her suit against the California congressman but made it clear that she was not retracting her accusation. Apparently, that's good enough for ActBlue.
Minnesota Freedom Fund
The Kamala Harris-backed group has bailed out several men accused of strangling women and one accused of raping a young child. Timothy Wayne Columbus was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly raping an eight-year-old girl in 2015. If you'd like to contribute to the bail fund that freed him, ActBlue has got you covered.