ActBlue co-founder pleads the Fifth in latest closed-door House deposition

ActBlue co-founder Matt DeBergalis invoked the Fifth Amendment Thursday during his closed-door deposition before three prominent House committees that are investigating the campaign donation platform's verification policies and procedures.

The deposition in front of the House Administration Committee, House Oversight Committee and House Judiciary Committee lasted less than half an hour, according to Fox News.

DeBergalis is the latest high-ranking ActBlue official to invoke the Fifth Amendment. ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones invoked the Fifth Amendment multiple times during a House Administration Committee hearing in June.

Wallace-Jones has maintained that invoking the Fifth did not mean she had anything to hide or insinuate guilt.

The investigation centers on how the company vets foreign donations and whether it weakened its fraud protections during the 2024 election. 

A report released by the committees last year claimed the company's staff and executives "are aware that both foreign and domestic fraudulent actors are exploiting the platform but do not take the threat seriously."

House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., told Fox News it is not clear how seriously ActBlue is taking fraud since the report, and he believes the American people deserve to know.

"What is so frustrating for me, and I think countless others — they have a right to not answer our questions, but I think the American people also have a right to know exactly what's taking place on this platform that has raised roughly $20 billion for Democratic candidates and liberal causes since its creation," Steil said.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.