https://abcnews4.com/newsletter-daily/ag-wilson-probes-political-committee-over-possible-fraudulent-fundraising-south-carolina-attorney-general-alan-actblue-allegations-smurfing-money-laundering-technique-straw-donors-law-violation-republicans-democrats

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is requesting answers over allegations that the political fundraising groupActBlue engaged in fraudulent fundraising.

AG Wilson sent a letterto the CEO of the group on Monday.

“It has come to my attention that these alleged activities may include ‘smurfing,’ a money laundering technique where large sums of money are ‘donated’ to a political candidate (or committee), and are broken down through smaller, less conspicuous amounts. Based on publicly accessible information, some individual donors in South Carolina have purportedly donated funds through ActBlue in prolific volumes that appear implausible and highly suspicious,” Attorney General Wilson writes in the letter.

He said this raises the questions of whether contributions by ActBlue are really from straw donors and whether contributions were made in the donors’ names without their knowledge or consent.

If the allegations are true, they could violate South Carolina laws as well as the Federal Election Campaign Act.

AG Wilson is requesting the group provide a detailed description of its processes for verifying the legitimacy of donor information, as well as the information reported to South Carolina’s regulatory bodies, by September 6.