Wisconsin Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin, who is currently seeking re-election in 2024, has found herself under fire following revelations about her campaign's fundraising practices. Reports indicate that Baldwin’s campaign accepted nearly $3 million in questionable small donations, a method referred to as “smurfing,” which involves breaking down large contributions into smaller ones to skirt campaign finance laws. These donations were funneled through the platform ActBlue, raising concerns of potential fraud and improper influence in Baldwin’s re-election campaign.
According to investigations by Election Watch, a non-partisan election integrity group, Baldwin’s campaign processed nearly 50,000 individual small-dollar donations between 2017 and 2022, totaling just under $3 million. The concern lies in the fact that many of the donors were listed as unemployed or in professions unlikely to support the scale of donations being made under their names. This pattern of donations has drawn parallels to money-laundering schemes, raising questions about the legality and transparency of Baldwin’s fundraising.
Our country was intended to be governed by citizen legislators, not career politicians like Tammy Baldwin.
It’s time for change. pic.twitter.com/cjSNGzdO1X
— Eric Hovde (@EricHovde) September 17, 2024
Critics have pointed out the potential for these donations to violate Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson previously highlighted similar practices with ActBlue in other campaigns, suggesting that donors’ names could be used without their consent, or large donations could be artificially split to avoid scrutiny. This method, sometimes referred to as "straw donations," allows donors to conceal their true identities and sidestep legal contribution limits.
Baldwin's campaign, however, has not directly addressed the smurfing accusations. Instead, her team has touted the broad base of supporters, highlighting that donations have come from all across Wisconsin and the United States. Baldwin’s campaign raised $3.2 million during the second quarter of 2023, marking one of the largest fundraising hauls in Wisconsin Senate history for an off-year. Yet, as scrutiny mounts, this fundraising windfall is becoming a double-edged sword.
Tammy Baldwin & Kamala Harris’ failure to secure our southern border has allowed violent criminals here illegally to terrorize women and children in Wisconsin.
Baldwin and Harris are radical, extreme & wrong for Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/j3WQf2pqkx
— Eric Hovde (@EricHovde) September 17, 2024
Adding to the controversy, Baldwin has also been criticized for her connections to high-profile California donors, including significant contributions from anti-police and anti-Israel activists.
These ties have drawn accusations of hypocrisy, especially as Baldwin attacks her Republican opponent, businessman Eric Hovde, for his financial connections to California. Despite these attacks, Baldwin herself has raised over $1 million from California donors during this election cycle, underscoring her deep financial ties to the West Coas.
Baldwin’s opponent, Hovde, who previously ran for Senate in 2012, has seized on the smurfing scandal, calling for a thorough investigation into her fundraising methods. He has argued that Baldwin’s acceptance of these potentially illicit funds shows a disregard for campaign finance laws, a claim likely to resonate with conservative voters in Wisconsin.
As the 2024 election approaches, Baldwin’s re-election bid is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. With nearly $8 million in cash on hand, she remains a formidable opponent, but the allegations of smurfing and other ethical questions may prove to be significant hurdles.
