Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren accused of exploiting California wildfire victims

Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald on Jan 13, 2025

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BOSTON — Conservative critics are slamming Sen. Elizabeth Warren for setting up a fundraiser for communities affected by the devastating California wildfires on a platform affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Warren posted a link to her fundraising page on her social media accounts on Saturday, asking her followers to “split a donation between the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and United Way of Greater Los Angeles.”

The Democratic senator added: “100% of your donation will go directly to these organizations.”

The link directs users to a page on ActBlue, a platform viewed as a major source for Democratic fundraising. Republican attorneys general and critics have long pressed for probes of the platform.

A “Warren For Senate” logo appears at the top of the page.

Warren’s X post received a community note – a tool that allows platform users to “add context to potentially misleading posts” – that states: “This is not a link to charity. It is a link to a Democrat fundraising platform. They take 3.95% of all transactions. You can donate directly to these charities.”

The note included links to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Foundation and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Act Blue confirmed the 3.95% processing fee, but said the money it generated paid for processing contributions. “No funds from AB Charities processing fees go to candidates.”

Conservative critics in Massachusetts joined thousands of others in accusing Warren of exploiting the wildfires for her own gain.

Cecilia Calabrese, the director of Mass For Trump in Region 3, posted that Warren’s activity could be something that the Federal Elections Commission “may want to investigate.

“Just when I think ‘my’ Senator can’t sink any lower she tries to loot well-meaning donors that want to help California fire victims,” Calabrese posted on X. “ActBlue is a Democrat fundraiser platform only. Shame on you, Senator, for pushing this scam!”

ActBlue’s pricing details indicate that the platform charges “a flat rate of 3.95% on each donation you receive to cover the processing cost.”

“Other than that, everything’s on us,” the pricing page states. “You’ll have access to all the ActBlue tools as well as customer service to help your team and your donors at no extra cost. No contracts, no surprises, no hidden fees. You can do the math.”

Chester Tam, a Massachusetts Republican National Convention delegate and vice chairman of operations and digital media for Trump in Massachusetts also took to social media, advising people to be wary of donating through Warren’s fundraiser.

“Donating through the Warren for Senate campaign site is the last thing you should do if you want to support efforts for the California fires,” he posted on X. “How much of that money do you think will end up benefitting Warren’s campaign? Once again Democrats exploit a disaster for their own gain.”

Over the past few months, Republican attorneys general have slammed ActBlue, demanding probes into the platform while accusing it of potentially improper activity, including failing to vet donations properly, according to reports.

The New York Post reported in October that the Treasury Department “found records of hundreds of transactions linked to Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue that have been flagged by banks as potentially suspicious, according to a congressional memo” the newspaper obtained.

In December, 142 consultants, campaign staff, nonprofit staff, technology vendors, donor organizers, donors, and academics from across the country wrote a joint letter to ActBlue executive leadership, demanding the company do a “better job” protecting Democratic contributors, news site Campaigns and Elections reported.

“ActBlue is a safe and secure platform trusted for decades by valued donors and partners,” a platform spokesperson told the site, “and we are continuously adapting our platform as technology, fundraising, and donor and campaign needs change.”

One X user responded to Warren’s call for donations, stating: “Do not use ActBlue to donate. Donate to local, grassroots that are on the ground and getting supplies to victims in real time.”

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