UNEMPLOYED_ARMY_INVESTIGATION
├─ total_anomalous_donations $1.75B
├─ donation_count 16,311,395
├─ unique_unemployed_donors 804,077
├─ max_single_day 930 donations
├─ max_sustained_rate 38.18/day for months
├─ jan_2023_volume_spike 252x increase
└─ source FEC Individual Contributions (58M records)
Important Disclaimer
This report presents statistical analysis of publicly available FEC data. Unusual patterns do not prove wrongdoing. There may be legitimate explanations including data entry errors, batch processing artifacts, platform technical issues, or legitimate sources of income not reflected in employment status (retirement, investments, savings, spousal income). The individuals and organizations referenced have not been charged with any crimes.
What is this investigation
Analysis of 58 million FEC contribution records reveals $1.75 billion in political donations from individuals reporting "NOT EMPLOYED" status. The data contains donation patterns that appear highly anomalous, including one record showing 930 donations in a single day and sustained rates averaging 38 donations per day for months.
These patterns warrant investigation to determine whether they reflect data issues, platform artifacts, or activities requiring regulatory review. The donations flow across the entire Democratic Party fundraising ecosystem - not just ActBlue.
930 Donations in ONE Day
On November 3, 2024, FEC records show Robert Otto from Greensboro, NC with 930 separate political donations recorded in 24 hours.
This would require making one donation every 93 seconds for the entire day without sleep, food, or breaks. This pattern warrants investigation to determine whether it reflects data errors, platform issues, or other explanations.
Where The Money Went
Click committee name to view details. Only 37.6% went to ActBlue - the rest flowed across the Democratic ecosystem.
| Committee | Type | Donations | Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActBlueC00401224 | PAC | 6,133,474 | $691.1M | 37.60% |
| Fight For The People PACC00703975 | PAC | 1,558,671 | $180.9M | 9.56% |
| Harris Victory FundC00744946 | Joint Fundraising | 995,110 | $166.7M | 6.10% |
| DSCCC00042366 | Party | 469,788 | $35.0M | 2.88% |
| DCCCC00000935 | Party | 398,041 | $25.7M | 2.44% |
| Dignity of Work PACC00264697 | PAC | 345,501 | $24.4M | 2.12% |
| Montanans for TesterC00412304 | Candidate | 335,119 | $22.9M | 2.05% |
| Friends of Colin Allred 2024C00839597 | Candidate | 328,895 | $20.7M | 2.02% |
| Progressive Turnout ProjectC00580068 | PAC | 309,593 | $9.9M | 1.90% |
| DNC Services CorpC00010603 | Party | 230,045 | $32.1M | 1.41% |
| Amy McGrath for SenateC00558627 | Candidate | 188,673 | $13.5M | 1.16% |
| MoveOn.org Political ActionC00343871 | PAC | 185,192 | $8.0M | 1.14% |
| End Citizens UnitedC00633404 | PAC | 172,569 | $4.6M | 1.06% |
| American Bridge 21st CenturyC00341396 | Super PAC | 157,505 | $6.6M | 0.97% |
| Win the Era PACC00659599 | PAC | 137,984 | $3.7M | 0.85% |
Top "Speed Demon" Donors (10+ donations/day average)
Data from public FEC Individual Contributions filings. Employment status is self-reported.
| Donor | Location | Donations/Day | Total Donations | Total Given |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edson Griswold | Denver, CO | 38.18 | 9,049 | $130K |
| Agnes Matenos | Peabody, MA | 31.88 | 6,791 | $43K |
| Gerald Farr | San Marcos, TX | 20.57 | 14,997 | $207K |
| Wendy Urbanowicz | Vancouver, WA | 19.33 | 14,111 | $71K |
| Michelle Schweitzer | Seattle, WA | 13.80 | 10,035 | $56K |
| Melinda Dearman | San Antonio, TX | 13.55 | 9,888 | $42K |
| Sun Hae Kim | Flushing, NY | 12.92 | 6,681 | $15K |
| Carol Ann Roan Dennis | Oak Harbor, WA | 11.76 | 5,761 | $23K |
Single-Day Anomalies
| Donor | Location | Date | Donations That Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Otto | Greensboro, NC | Nov 3, 2024 | 930 |
| Christie Kaufmann | Manheim, PA | Nov 30, 2024 | 381 |
| Amy Welden | Ashland, OR | Jan 21, 2024 | 338 |
| Anne Davenport | Philadelphia, PA | Jun 8, 2023 | 330 |
The January 2023 Explosion
A 252x increase from December 2022 to January 2023 is a highly unusual growth trajectory.
Questions Raised by the Data
- 1.Donation frequency anomalies - What explains single-day volumes and sustained rates that appear to exceed typical human behavior patterns?
- 2.Identity verification gaps - How do platforms verify donor eligibility when "NOT EMPLOYED" is reported?
- 3.Volume timing questions - What caused the 252x increase in January 2023?
- 4.Source of funds - How do individuals reporting no employment fund six-figure donation totals?
These questions do not establish that wrongdoing occurred, but suggest the need for enhanced verification and investigation.
Data Sources
Primary Source
FEC Individual Contributions Database - Bulk data files containing all itemized individual contributions to federal committees.
Data Specification
FEC Individual Contributions File Description - The OCCUPATION field is self-reported by donors on contribution forms.
Records Analyzed
58,207,350 individual contribution records from the 2023-2024 election cycle, filtered for OCCUPATION = 'NOT EMPLOYED'.
Data source: FEC Individual Contributions (58.2M records analyzed). Investigation ID: ua-2024-001. This analysis is provided for informational purposes and raises questions for regulatory review - it is not an accusation of illegal conduct.