Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accusing the Republican of using his office for “retaliation” to punish the group for its political work and asking a federal judge to block his investigations and litigation against the organization.
“ActBlue is trying to take me down,” Paxton, who is running for Senate in Texas, wrote on X. “I sued the fundraising platform for deceiving Americans by lying about its donation processes that allow fraudulent and foreign donations.
“I will hold those who break the law accountable.”
The ActBlue lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Boston, seeks to counter the case in Texas state court accusing ActBlue of misleading Congress and the public about its donation practices. ActBlue said Paxtons actions are part of an unlawful retaliation campaign targeting the nations leading small-dollar Democratic fundraising platform.
“Ken Paxton has spent more than two years using the power of his office to investigate, harass, and sue ActBlue,” Lawrence Oliver, ActBlues chief legal officer, said in a statement.
“The timing of Paxton fighting for run for U.S. Senate and his use of the Attorney Generals office to attack ActBlue, should not be lost on anyone. He is wasting taxpayer dollars to benefit his political ambitions.
“That is not law enforcement. It is retaliation against constitutionally protected speech and association, and it is exactly what the forbids.”
ActBlue also argues selective prosecution, noting Paxton has never investigated WinRed â the Republican fundraising counterpart to ActBlue â alleging in the lawsuit that “Paxton has a history of .”
“During his tenure as Texas Attorney General, Paxton has signaled an emphasis on enforcement against entities enabling and political speech that he perceives as aligned with the Democratic Party,” the lawsuit reads. “He has consistently sought to suppress speech with which he disagrees and hobble his political opponents by abusing the powers of his Office.”
ActBlue cited a New York Times report that Talarico “had posted strong fundraising numbers for the first quarter of 2026,” in potentially being the nexus for Paxton’s opening his investigation.
The timing of his investigation shows a political motive, ActBlue’s lawsuit argues. The group says Paxtons investigators began conducting undercover transactions on ActBlues platform Feb. 18, one day after Talarico announced he had raised $2.5 million in 24 hours, including more than $2.2 million through ActBlue.
The lawsuit said Paxton filed his Texas case five days after national reporting described Talarico as a major fundraising threat who had raised more than $36 million through the platform.
The lawsuit marks an escalation in a broader Republican-backed campaign targeting ActBlue and other online fundraising platforms. President Donald Trump last year directed his the groups, and Paxton has pursued ActBlue through a series of inquiries dating back to December 2023.
The issue comes as the Democratic National Committee reportedly carried more than $17.5 million in debt this winter, according to the FEC.
The House Administration, Judiciary and Oversight committees have been investigating ActBlue for more than a year and issued a 2025 report titled “Fraud on ActBlue.”
“ActBlue has engaged in good faith at every turn,” the group wrote in a sta
