Elon Musk, the cost-cutting billionaire in the Trump administration, has accused Democratic donors George Soros, Reid Hoffman and others of funding protests against his electric car company Tesla. In a post on X, the Tesla CEO claimed that an investigation has identified five groups, purportedly funded through ActBlue – a major Democratic fundraising platform – as orchestrators of these demonstrations.
ActBlue, founded in 2004, is a key fundraising tool for Democratic candidates and causes.
Musk named groups such as Troublemakers, Disruption Project, Rise & Resist, Indivisible Project, and the Democratic Socialists of America as the driving forces behind Tesla protests.
“ActBlue funders include George Soros, Reid Hoffman, Herbert Sandler, Patricia Bauman, and Leah Hunt-Hendrix,” he wrote. “If you know anything about this, please post in replies. Thanks, Elon,” he added.
An investigation has found 5 ActBlue-funded groups responsible for Tesla “protests”: Troublemakers, Disruption Project, Rise & Resist, Indivisible Project and Democratic Socialists of America.
ActBlue funders include George Soros, Reid Hoffman, Herbert Sandler, Patricia Bauman,…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 8, 2025
The protests against Tesla have intensified over the past weeks. Demonstrations have occurred at over 50 Tesla locations across the United States with slogans like “We need clean air, not another billionaire” and “Elon Musk has got to go.”
The movement has also gained international traction, with protests reported in cities like Barcelona, London, and Lisbon. Coordination appears to be facilitated through platforms like the “Tesla Takedown” website, which lists Troublemakers and Disruption Project as sponsors.
ActBlue serves as a conduit for small-dollar donations to Democratic campaigns and causes. While it doesn’t directly fund organisations, it enables donors to contribute to various entities.
Musk has claimed that ActBlue is being probed for allegedly permitting foreign and illegal donations, leading to the recent resignation of seven senior officials, including the associate general counsel.
In October 2024, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton urged the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to implement stricter regulations following a year-long investigation into ActBlue. The probe uncovered numerous suspicious donations made via prepaid credit cards, suggesting possible use of false identities, The NY Post reported at the time.
The Republican-led House Administration Committee also discovered evidence indicating that illegal donations from foreign adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela may have been funneled to Democratic campaigns through ActBlue, The NY Post reported.
In response to these concerns, ActBlue updated its policies in December 2024 to automatically reject donations using foreign prepaid cards, domestic gift cards, and contributions from high-risk or sanctioned countries.