These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward liberal causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information reporting that may damage liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.
Bias Rating: LEFT
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
ActBlue , a nonprofit organization and political action committee, was established in 2004 by Benjamin Rahn and Matt DeBergalis . It offers fundraising tools for Democratic candidates, committees, and progressive organizations and facilitates small-dollar donations to various campaigns and causes. ActBlue is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, and its current president is Regina Wallace-Jones . The organization focuses on building tech and infrastructure for Democratic and progressive-aligned causes .
ActBlue is funded through contributions made via its platform, charging a 3.95% processing fee on donations to cover credit card transaction costs. Additionally, ActBlue accepts tips from donors to support its operational expenses. Various sources, including individuals and affiliated organizations, make significant contributions. For example, ActBlue Technical Services, a nonprofit arm providing engineering and infrastructure support to the ActBlue platform, has made multiple large donations, such as $1,447,808.14 on May 30, 2023, and $670,756.44 on July 18, 2023.
High-profile individual donors include Jonathan Lavine, who contributed $500,000 on December 20, 2023, and Robert Hale, who made several donations. Organizations like ActBlue Civics Inc. also provide substantial funding. These contributions illustrate the diverse financial support that ActBlue receives, enabling it to fund a wide range of Democratic and progressive initiatives. Transparency is maintained through regular reporting to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), detailing all contributions regardless of the amount.
ActBlue exhibits a left-leaning bias, consistent with its mission to support Democratic and progressive candidates and causes. The platform serves as a fundraising tool for mainstream Democratic campaigns, left-wing PACs, and advocacy groups. This includes facilitating donations for organizations like the No Excuses PAC, which pushes for more progressive policies and often critiques centrist Democrats like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema.
For example, the page “Biden is losing badly. But there’s still time to stop Trump” on ActBlue is linked to the No Excuses PAC , a group advocating for more progressive leadership within the Democratic Party. The No Excuses PAC, formed by former Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaign strategists, supports progressive policies and challenges moderate Democrats within the party.
ActBlue also supports mainstream Democratic efforts, as seen on pages like “Support President Biden ,” which mobilizes grassroots donations for President Biden’s reelection campaign.
Additionally, ActBlue’s fundraising efforts often include strong critiques of Republican figures and policies. For instance, the page “ Trump is Guilty! Celebrate by Donating to the Biden Campaign ” solicits donations with a message about former President Trump’s alleged wrongdoings, reflecting ActBlue’s critical stance towards Republican leadership.
The page “Peace Action with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” demonstrates ActBlue’s support for specific progressive causes. While this page highlights Ocasio-Cortez’s efforts, it does not provide direct links to specific achievements, relying instead on the general trust of their audience.
These examples demonstrate ActBlue’s role in supporting various Democratic and progressive causes, reflecting the internal diversity and sometimes conflicting viewpoints within the left-leaning spectrum.
Overall, we rate ActBlue as Left biased due to its explicit alignment with Democratic and progressive initiatives and its role in supporting various campaigns and advocacy groups. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to imbalanced advocacy and through supporting PACS who have made false claims. (M. Huitsing 06/21/2024)
Last Updated on June 21, 2024 by Media Bias Fact Check
