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ActBlue Under Pressure To Boot Warnock After Ex-Wife Accused Him of Violating Custody Agreement

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D., Ga.) / Getty Images
April 6, 2022

ActBlue is facing calls from a Republican group to boot Sen. Raphael Warnock (D., Ga.) from its fundraising platform after his ex-wife, Oulèye Ndoye, accused him of violating their custody agreement by refusing to pay childcare expenses.

Citing Free Beacon reporting, the Republican National Committee called on ActBlue to follow its precedent of kicking off Democrats accused of misconduct toward women or minors and remove Warnock. His ex-wife's latest custody claims come two years after she accused him of running over her foot with his car during a disagreement, which Warnock denied.

"While Raphael Warnock is raising money for his political career, he is ignoring the financial needs of his own children," RNC spokeswoman Savannah Viar said. "It's past time that Democrats and ActBlue put their money where their mouths are and hold Raphael Warnock to their own standards."

The fundraising network has kicked off several Democrats—including former New York governor Andrew Cuomo—following allegations of harassment, abuse, and other misconduct.

ActBlue did not respond to a request for comment.

Ndoye asked a court to hold Warnock in contempt in February for allegedly violating their custody agreement. She claimed Warnock left her "financially strapped" by skipping out on his visitation days and refusing to reimburse her for childcare expenses. She said Warnock has also refused to return personal items that were awarded to her in their divorce agreement.

In March 2020, Ndoye accused Warnock of running over her foot with his Tesla during a domestic dispute. "I've tried to keep the way that he acts under wraps for a long time, and today he crossed the line," she told police at the time. "So that is what is going on here. And he's a great actor. He is phenomenal at putting on a really good show." Warnock denied that he hit her and he was not charged in the incident.

Warnock and Ndoye divorced in 2020 after four years of marriage. On Friday, a Fulton County court judge ordered the former couple to attend mediation to try to reach a settlement on their latest custody dispute, the Washington Free Beacon reported on Tuesday. A status hearing was scheduled for May 16.

ActBlue's policy of removing Democrats accused of crimes or indiscretions dates back at least two years, when it kicked a 20-year-old state representative candidate off for allegedly sending inappropriate pictures of his girlfriend while he was in middle school. The Democrats' fundraising giant followed through on its policy last summer when it removed Cuomo following a report from New York's Democratic attorney general detailing multiple counts of sexual harassment.

At the time, Cuomo—like Warnock—was actively running for reelection. Shortly after the Free Beacon reported on the platform's failure to remove Cuomo, he was kicked off the platform. Days later, he announced that he would resign from office.