Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accusing the Republican of using his office for “retaliation” to punish the group for its political work and asking a federal judge to block his investigations and litigation against the organization.

“ActBlue is trying to take me down,” Paxton, who is running for Senate in Texas, wrote on X. “I sued the fundraising platform for deceiving Americans by lying about its donation processes that allow fraudulent and foreign donations.

“I will hold those who break the law accountable.”

The ActBlue lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Boston, seeks to counter the case Paxton brought last month in Texas state court accusing ActBlue of misleading Congress and the public about its donation practices. ActBlue said Paxton’s actions are part of an unlawful retaliation campaign targeting the nation’s leading small-dollar Democratic fundraising platform.

TEXAS AG PAXTON SUES DEM FUNDRAISING PLATFORM ACTBLUE, ALLEGING ‘FRAUDULENT AND FOREIGN DONATIONS’

An election countdown calendar hangs at the ActBlue fundraising office in Somerville, Mass. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

“Ken Paxton has spent more than two years using the power of his office to investigate, harass, and sue ActBlue,” Lawrence Oliver, ActBlue’s chief legal officer, said in a statement.

“The timing of Paxton fighting for his political life in his run for U.S. Senate and his use of the Attorney General’s  office to attack ActBlue, should not be lost on anyone. He is wasting taxpayer dollars to benefit his political ambitions.

“That is not law enforcement. It is retaliation against constitutionally protected speech and association, and it is exactly what the First Amendment forbids.”

DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT ACTBLUE ROCKED BY ALLEGATIONS IT MISLED CONGRESS ABOUT FOREIGN DONATIONS

ActBlue alleges Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, is investigating its Democrat fundraising platform to target his potential November election opponent James Talarico. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

ActBlue also argues selective prosecution, noting Paxton has never investigated WinRed — the Republican fundraising counterpart to ActBlue — alleging in the lawsuit that “Paxton has a history of targeting Democratic-aligned entities.”

“During his tenure as Texas Attorney General, Paxton has signaled an emphasis on enforcement against entities enabling voting and political speech that he perceives as aligned with the Democratic Party,” the lawsuit reads. “He has consistently sought to suppress speech with which he disagrees and hobble his political opponents by abusing the powers of his Office.”

ActBlue cited a New York Times report that Talarico “had posted strong fundraising numbers for the first quarter of 2026,” in potentially being the nexus for Paxton’s opening his investigation.

‘OPEN BORDERS TRUMP-HATING RADICAL’: GOP UNLEASHES EARLY BLITZ ON TEXAS DEMOCRAT TALARICO

The timing of his investigation shows a political motive, ActBlue’s lawsuit argues. The group says Paxton’s investigators began conducting undercover transactions on ActBlue’s platform Feb. 18, one day after Talarico announced he had raised $2.5 million in 24 hours, including more than $2.2 million through ActBlue.

The lawsuit said Paxton filed his Texas case five days after national reporting described Talarico as a major fundraising threat who had raised more than $36 million through the platform.

The lawsuit marks an escalation in a broader Republican-backed campaign targeting ActBlue and other online fundraising platforms. President Donald Trump last year directed his Department of Justice to investigate the groups, and Paxton has pursued ActBlue through a series of inquiries dating back to December 2023.

‘TIPPING THE SCALES’: HOUSE GOP LEADERS RIP ACTBLUE AFTER DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT HIT WITH SUBPOENA

The issue comes as the Democratic National Committee reportedly carried more than $17.5 million in debt this winter, according to the FEC.

The House Administration, Judiciary and Oversight committees have been investigating ActBlue for more than a year and issued a 2025 report titled “Fraud on ActBlue.”

“ActBlue has engaged in good faith at every turn,” the group wrote in a statement after sending a letter to the committees last week before filing the Paxton lawsuit.

TOP HOUSE COMMITTEES ACCUSE DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT OF FACILITATING ‘BAD ACTORS’ IN BOMBSHELL DOJ LETTER

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan are leading investigations into ActBlue. (AP)

“We are asking the Committees to do the same: engage with us directly before sending accusatory public correspondence, and answer unresolved questions about the relationship between their oversight work and a DOJ investigation ordered by a President who has made no secret of his hostility towards ActBlue.

“We see what this is,” the statement added. “And we’re going to keep showing up, keep correcting the record — because that’s what transparency actually looks like. Not as a talking point. As a practice.”

Paxton’s Texas lawsuit, filed April 20, seeks financial penalties and asks a state court to stop ActBlue from allowing donations through gift cards and prepaid debit cards. Paxton alleged those payment methods could obscure a donor’s identity and enable illegal contributions, including from foreign nationals. His suit also claimed ActBlue continued to process gift card donations after saying in 2024 that it would stop doing so.

DEMOCRAT PLATFORM ACTBLUE SUBPOENAED BY HOUSE COMMITTEE AMID CONCERNS FOREIGN DONORS EXPLOITED SECURITY FLAWS

ActBlue denied the allegations.

“This is a thinly veiled attempt to distract from Ken Paxton’s numerous legal and ethical issues ahead of next month’s runoff,” ActBlue spokeswoman De’Andra Roberts-LaBoo told Fox News in an April 20 statement via email. “If he and his Republican allies actually cared about donor fraud, they would work to strengthen security standards across the board, including within their own operations, rather than targeting ActBlue.

“Our platform has done more than any other, regardless of party, to prevent improper donations and protect donors. Full stop.”

SCOOP: DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT ACTBLUE HIT WITH SUBPOENA BY TOP HOUSE COMMITTEES

Investigators from Paxton’s office attempted three times to use an American Express gift card on ActBlue’s platform, and all three attempts were rejected by the platform’s automated fraud-prevention tools, according to the complaint.

ActBlue said Paxton nevertheless filed a lawsuit accusing the group of having “secretly resumed” accepting gift cards and failed to disclose the failed test transactions to the Texas court, calling the allegations “false and inflammatory.”

“Paxton’s decision to use his government office to target ActBlue with legal sanctions as retribution for its protected speech and political association is an affront to the Constitution and must not be tolerated,” ActBlue’s lawyers wrote in the federal lawsuit.

Since its founding in 2004, ActBlue said it has helped raise $19 billion for Democratic campaigns and progressive organizations, including more than $568 million in the first quarter of 2026, acting as a conduit for individual donors.

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The lawsuit asks a federal judge to declare Paxton’s investigation and Texas civil case unconstitutional violations of ActBlue’s First and 14th Amendment rights and to bar him from continuing to pursue them.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, the WWE tag team known as the New Day, reportedly departed the company on Saturday as part of the latest string of releases.

Kingston and Woods became fan favorites as they formed New Day with fellow superstar Big E. But after Big E was sidelined with a serious injury, the two continued their tag team prowess in the ring. Kingston and Woods were four-time tag team champions as a duo and held the belts eight times when they were with Big E.

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Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston attend Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on May 31, 2025. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Fightful Select and BodySlam both reported the departures of Kingston and Woods. The two were moved to the alumni section of the WWE website.

Kingston had a ton of success as a singles competitor. He captured the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35 over Daniel Bryan as part of the “Kofi-Mania” era where he received a ton of fan support on his way to his first title. He was also an intercontinental champion four times and a United States champion three times.

Woods joined WWE in 2010 after stints at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Woods won the King of the Ring tournament in 2021.

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Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston of the New Day celebrate their win during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2025. (Craig Melvin/WWE)

As a tag team, the two were considered to be one of the best in WWE’s history. They captured their last titles at WrestleMania 41 and turned heel soon after that. The two lost their tag titles in June and Woods was injured during the year. Kingston formed an alliance with Grayson Waller in the interim before the departure.

Elsewhere, Tonga Loa and JC Mateo reportedly departed the company as well.

Loa first appeared in WWE in 2009 before departed in 2014. He re-appeared most recently in 2024, joining forces with Solo Sikoa and the newly formed MFT faction.

MFT’s JC Mateo, Talla Tonga, Solo Sikoa and Tonga Loa face off with Jimmy Uso during Saturday Night’s Main Event at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on July 12, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)

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Mateo joined WWE in 2025, also backing up Sikoa in the faction. He was also a tag team champion with Tama Tonga before eventually dropping the belts to Damian Priest and R-Truth in March.

A bumper crop of ethics allegations in the current 119th Congress is contributing to record-low approval numbers for Congress this cycle. Already, three members of Congress have resigned this term — some waiting months after credible allegations surfaced. More need to go.

Anytime you get 535 people together, somebody is going to be doing something stupid somewhere. But the public deserves faster, bolder action when their representatives behave badly. Delayed action undermines public trust. Though every American is owed due process, with elected officials in Congress, it must happen faster.

The public should not have to wait out a scandal-plagued lame-duck term. Congress must act with greater urgency when trust is broken. Voters deserve swift special elections in which they can directly choose a replacement.

Delayed action only fuels the perception that government is rigged and unresponsive. Approval ratings for Congress are in the basement, with Gallup’s April polling finding that just 10% approve while 86% disapprove. This is a direct threat to congressional legitimacy. Accountability must be real, not performative.

RESIGNATION IS THE NEW ESCAPE HATCH AS LAWMAKERS FACE EXPULSION

Already, three House members have resigned — Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., and Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas — but those resignations only came after intense public pressure, not through the routine process. Several more representatives continue to serve under a cloud of credible allegations.

In the case of Cherfilus-McCormick, voters were effectively disenfranchised for five months after their representative was indicted on fraud charges. Initial referrals date back even further. Meanwhile, she retained her full voting power, committee assignments, salary, staff, and benefits. A presumptive expulsion should follow a federal indictment. Instead, we got delays for political leverage.

The problem is not going away. With $7 trillion going out the door each year, Congress is a magnet for people who may be easily compromised by power. Furthermore, Capitol Hill is crawling with staffers in their 20s who are young, talented, and hungry. Some can be easily taken advantage of in an uneven power dynamic.

When I was first elected to the House of Representatives, I really thought we all wanted the same thing, but just had different ways of getting there. I left realizing this is truly a fight between good and evil, playing out under the hot lights of Congress.

When I was first elected to the House of Representatives, I really thought we all wanted the same thing, but just had different ways of getting there. I left realizing this is truly a fight between good and evil, playing out under the hot lights of Congress.

I observed that about a third of the representatives in Congress really are there to do the right thing. They wake up every day looking for ways to solve problems. Another third are phoning it in — harmless, but ineffective. But the last group, in my opinion, is there to line its own pockets or serve someone other than its constituents.

I appreciate the work of the bipartisan House Ethics Committee, which has its hands full. With an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, the committee is less driven by partisanship than other committees.

HOUSE AVOIDS UNPRECEDENTED FOUR-MEMBER EXPULSION WEEK AS SWALWELL AND GONZALES RESIGN INSTEAD

However, because the balance of power is so tight, part of what’s making these forced resignations possible is the even number of violators from each party. The process is not entirely driven by justice. It’s still about political power.

Congress needs to adopt faster processes to act as a deterrent. Clear triggers — such as automatic Ethics Subcommittee review within 30 days of an Office of Congressional Conduct referral or federal indictment — could coexist with due process.

Presumptive suspension from committee assignments or floor votes on major matters would protect institutional integrity without presuming guilt. Special elections could follow more quickly, empowering voters rather than insulating incumbents.

WATCHDOG RELEASES REPORT HIGHLIGHTING THE WORST ETHICS VIOLATIONS IT SAW FROM PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN 2024

Elected officials hold power in trust, not as a personal right. The Constitution explicitly grants each chamber authority to discipline its members, including expulsion. There is no requirement for glacial timelines.

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Certainly, representatives are innocent until proven guilty. But public office is no courtroom. Voters still have a right to timely, functional representation. Prolonged service does not so much protect the innocent as shield the politically connected.

The American people fund this government and grant its power. We should not have to beg for basic integrity, especially from those who have sworn an oath to uphold it.

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Congress must choose: cling to slow-motion self-protection or deliver the swift, credible accountability voters have every right to demand.

The health of our republic depends on making the right choice.

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The idea that aging is a steady, predictable process is being challenged by a new book, which describes a so-called “flicker stage” where some aspects of aging may briefly reverse.

Stuart Kaplan and Marcus Riley, authors of the book “Your Aging Advantage,” say aging may be more fluid than chronological age alone would suggest. They call this phenomenon the “flicker stage,” just one of seven stages of aging.

The “flicker stage” suggests functional age isn’t fixed, with people shifting between levels of youth and vitality based on lifestyle and mindset, the authors state.

FAITH DRIVES MAN TO HELP ANOTHER THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN DRAMATIC LIFE-OR-DEATH SCENE

Periods of feeling significantly younger, followed by times of feeling one’s age, may reflect what the authors describe as the “flicker stage.”

Riley said healthier aging involves “flickering back” to a younger state, noting that while stress or setbacks can make people feel older, those shifts aren’t permanent.

The secret to aging healthier is learning how to “flicker back” to a younger state when life pushes you forward, the authors said. (Milan Markovic/iStock)

“Through positive interventions, we have the ability to flicker back to the stage of age we want to be in … these setbacks or unforeseen circumstances might propel us to a different stage of aging, but we have this ability to flip it back through positive intervention.”

“Aging or growing older is [not] a problem to fix … it’s an opportunity to be seized.”

Riley said this requires identifying personal “flicker triggers” — physical, psychological, social or environmental shifts that help reset one’s pace, such as exercise or renewed social connection.

AGING ‘HOTSPOT’ FOUND IN BRAIN, RESEARCHERS SAY: ‘MAJOR CHANGES’

Most people already live with a “feels-like” age that doesn’t match their chronological age, said Kaplan, comparing it to a weather report.

“In the summertime, the weatherperson might say it’s 85 degrees outside, but with the humidity, it feels like 95 … The feels-like age is the lived age, as compared to the chronological age or the age on your birth certificate.”

The authors suggest that engaging in your community is one way to activate the flicker stage. (iStock)

Focusing on the “lived age” may allow people to intentionally shift into a younger stage, according to the authors.

Instead of “aging in place,” which focuses on where one lives, they suggest focusing on “aging on pace.”

PSYCHIATRIST REVEALS HOW SIMPLE MINDSET SHIFTS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE CHRONIC PAIN

“It’s more about what’s important to us on a personal level … do we want to stay in employment and work for as long as we can? Do we want to be shifting gears … and pursuing other interests and pastimes that are important to us?” Riley asked.

Kaplan said the common focus on age 65 as a point of decline reflects a socially imposed retirement benchmark, not a biological marker.

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“It comes from the Social Security Act that was created in 1935 in the United States. And here we are 90 years later, and we’re still thinking that 65 is an important age. … We didn’t use the word retirement back then. I mean, have you ever seen a farmer back in the 1800s … that says, ‘Oh, we’re going to retire because Grandpa is now going to be 62 or 65 years old?'”

The flicker effect works best when you stop viewing aging as a “downhill” perspective, the experts said. (iStock)

The flicker effect works best when you stop viewing aging as a “downhill” perspective, Riley and Kaplan said.

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Even after a health setback shifts someone into a later stage, maintaining a positive and active approach may help move them back toward an earlier stage of aging, according to the authors.

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Ultimately, the goal is to stop seeing the passage of time as a problem to be solved, Riley said.

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“Aging or growing older is [not] a problem to fix. … We want the mindset [that] it’s an opportunity to be seized.”