US Senator Elizabeth Warren stirred up controversy for her attempt to raise funds for California wildfire victims by posting a link to a fundraising platform associated with the Democratic Party.
Warren, a Democrat representing Massachusetts, asked her followers on X to split a donation between the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and United Way of Greater Los Angeles. She assured that “100% of your donation will go directly to these organisations,” and included a link to ActBlue, a Democratic Party fundraising platform.
Her X post sparked a wave of criticism with Stephen Miller quoting her tweet and commenting that Elizabeth Warren “is now using the LA wildfires to solicit donations directly to Act Blue”.
Many accused Warren of using the tragedy to fundraise for political purposes. “Imagine trying to steal money from the victims of the LA fire to help your own corrupt political party,” one response read.
Several readers took to social media to say that donations could be made directly to the Los Angeles Fire Department and United Way without using the fundraising platform, which charged a fee.
X, the platform where the post was made, flagged additional context below Warren’s tweet. It read, “This is not a link to charity. It is a link to a Democrat fundraising platform that takes 3.95% of all transactions. You can donate directly to these charities,” providing links to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Foundation and United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, has faced controversy in recent times, particularly after Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares raised concerns about its donation verification process, reported CNN.
