Act Blue - Fiduciary?

Fraud at the Front Door and the Back Door: Political Contributions and Investment Advisory Conflicts

When the news broke that President Trump is ordering an investigation into ActBlue and similar fundraising platforms for potentially fraudulent fundraising methods, it confirmed what many of us have long suspected: the exploitation of vulnerable citizens—particularly the elderly—is not just a side hustle for political operatives, it is a core strategy. It is fraud, plain and simple.

But what most people fail to realize is that fraud does not stop at the political donation page. It bleeds into the financial world as well, often wearing a far more expensive suit. Many of the so-called “prestigious” investment advisory firms, asset managers, and financial conglomerates are doing something eerily similar. They collect your money under the pretense of professional management, but when you peel back the layers, a portion of your fees and commissions are being funneled into political causes, candidates, and activist activities that you may personally oppose. Whether through direct political donations, lobbying, soft-money campaigns, or corporate sponsorships masked as “philanthropy,” your hard-earned dollars are being weaponized against your own interests—and you probably never even knew it.

Let me explain how these two forms of fraud—political and financial—are intimately linked.

The Front-Door Scam: Political Fundraising Fraud

According to recent reports, there is growing evidence that elderly Americans, many suffering from cognitive decline or limited technological understanding, have been manipulated into making repeated and unauthorized political donations. Platforms like ActBlue allegedly made it extraordinarily easy for multiple, recurring charges to appear on an elderly person’s credit card or bank statement without clear, meaningful consent. In some cases, individuals with limited income were signed up for weekly or even daily withdrawals, often without a family member or caretaker having any idea.

This is not campaigning. It is theft. It is preying on the weakest among us.

Investigators are now looking into the structure of these transactions. Were they opt-in? Were they disclosed properly? Were refunds offered promptly? Early indications suggest a pattern of deception designed not just to raise funds, but to bleed dry those who could least afford it. This is fraud masquerading as political participation.

And while the media will try to spin this as “errors” or “isolated incidents,” the volume of complaints and the consistency of the abuses tell a different story. This is industrialized exploitation.

The Back-Door Scam: Financial Industry Complicity

Now, if you think this type of behavior is limited to political operators, think again. Let me tell you about another type of fraud—one that is less visible but equally insidious.

When you hire one of the big-name investment advisory firms, you expect them to manage your money with professionalism and neutrality. But dig into the fine print and corporate disclosures, and you will often find that these firms are anything but neutral. Many of them donate millions of dollars to political parties, candidates, lobbying efforts, environmental activism, social justice initiatives, and international causes that have absolutely nothing to do with managing your money—and everything to do with advancing agendas you may find objectionable.

Even worse, they are using your money to do it. Your fees, your commissions, your slowly bleeding “access management” charges—they all feed into the machine.

You might never know unless you ask very specific questions, demand transparency, and research third-party campaign finance disclosures. These firms count on the fact that most clients are too busy or too trusting to investigate. They will highlight their fiduciary duties in marketing brochures, but conveniently omit that “fiduciary” only applies to your investments—not their corporate political activity.

The Parallel: Vulnerability and Hidden Agendas

There is a common thread here: deception, dependence, and the exploitation of trust.

In the case of political donations, elderly men and women who simply wanted to express a belief or support a cause were harvested for every dollar possible by people who viewed them as nothing more than ATMs.

In the case of financial firms, investors—many of them retirees or pre-retirees—who simply wanted stable, professional money management were unknowingly enrolled in supporting political and social causes they would never personally endorse. They are both examples of betrayal: one by politicians and fundraisers, the other by financial managers and corporations.

Both industries rely on opacity. Both industries rely on your distraction, your delegation of responsibility, and your assumption that “someone else is looking out for you.”

They are not. Not in politics. Not in big finance.

What You Can—and Must—Do

First, when it comes to political donations, encourage elderly friends and family members to review their bank and credit card statements monthly. Look for recurring charges from any political platforms, especially ones they do not recognize. Report suspicious transactions immediately and request refunds. Document everything.

Second, when it comes to investment management, ask hard questions:

   •   Does your advisory firm disclose political contributions and lobbying activities?

   •   Do they support activist causes using your management fees?

   •   Are they aligned with your values, or are they quietly betraying them?

Third, consider moving your money to firms and advisors who are truly independent. Fiduciary in name is not enough—they must be fiduciary in action, with full operational independence from political and social activism.

Final Thought: Follow the Money

At the end of the day, the trail always leads back to money. The fraud against the elderly in political fundraising and the betrayal of investors in financial management are two sides of the same rotten coin.

One steals from you at the front door. The other steals from you at the back door.

If you care about your family, your future, and your country, you must recognize this game—and refuse to play it.