ActBlue, the leading fundraising platform for Democrats, is in disarray after at least seven senior officials resigned and a company lawyer alleged that the platform had retaliated against him, the New York Times reported.
The exodus comes as congressional Republicans investigate ActBlue's security and fraud-prevention measures, including to what degree it works to block illegal foreign donations. Among those who have left are longtime ActBlue officials, such as the associate general counsel and chief revenue officer, though the exact reasons for their departures remain unclear, according to the Times.
The upheaval deals a heavy blow to the Democratic Party, as ActBlue has long played a pivotal role in fundraising for Democratic candidates at all levels. ActBlue said it has helped raise more than $16 billion for Democratic campaigns since 2004.
Zain Ahmad, who as of February 26 was the only remaining lawyer in ActBlue's general counsel's office, alleged that the company had revoked his access to email and other internal platforms and deleted some of his Slack messages, the Times reported.
"Please be advised that we have Anti-Retaliation and Whistleblower Policies for a reason," Ahmad wrote to ActBlue.
Ahmad is now on leave, a source told the Times.
Two unions representing ActBlue's workers called Ahmad's allegations "unsettling and disturbing, and part of a growing pattern of volatility and toxicity stemming from current leadership."
In a letter sent last week to ActBlue's board of directors, the unions warned of an "alarming pattern" of high-level departures that was "eroding our confidence in the stability of the organization." The letter also urged the board to hire an independent investigator to assess "the current state of the organization and evaluate if our C.E.O. is doing her job in an appropriate, competent and responsible manner."