Overview
- U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns granted a preliminary injunction on Thursday that bars Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from pursuing his April state lawsuit against ActBlue while a federal court reviews ActBlue’s First and Fourteenth Amendment claims.
- Stearns wrote that Paxton’s investigation sat largely dormant after opening in December 2023 and only intensified after Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico reported a major fundraising day, a timing the judge said points to retaliation.
- Paxton alleged in April that ActBlue allowed fraudulent and foreign donations and violated Texas deceptive-trade laws, and he sought roughly $1 million in monetary relief in the state action.
- ActBlue sued in Massachusetts to stop the Texas case, has defended its donor-controls, and has faced congressional scrutiny about payment methods and foreign contribution risks, with its CEO invoking the Fifth at a House hearing.
- The injunction is preliminary, can be appealed, and raises broader questions about selective enforcement by state officials, possible limits on using legal power during campaigns, and ongoing oversight of online fundraising platforms.