THE APEX TIMES
ActBlue co-founder Matt DeBergalis invokes the Fifth Amendment in closed deposition in House fraud probe
DeBergalis declined to answer substantive questions during a closed-door deposition before multiple House panels, according to a report published Thursday.
ActBlue co-founder Matt DeBergalis invoked the Fifth Amendment during a closed-door deposition connected to a widening House investigation into alleged fraud involving the nonprofit political fundraising operation, according to a report by Zero Hedge published Aug. 21, 2026.
The report says DeBergalis appeared before the House Committee on House Administration and also before the House Oversight Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. It adds that he declined to answer a single substantive question during the deposition.
Zero Hedge reported that the deposition lasted less than half an hour and took place as the investigation expanded to additional lines of inquiry. The report characterizes the proceeding as a step in the House panel effort to obtain testimony related to the alleged misconduct under review.
The report does not provide additional detail in the materials made available for this drafting task about the specific allegations being pursued, the topics of questioning, or any documentary evidence discussed during the deposition.
Invoking the Fifth Amendment allows a witness to refuse to answer questions in order to avoid self-incrimination. The scope of such refusals generally depends on the specific question asked, but the report here describes only the overall result, not the question-by-question record.
Because the underlying congressional record, deposition transcript, and committee statements were not included in the provided materials, several key elements of the matter cannot be independently confirmed for publication here, including which specific statutes or alleged conduct are at issue and whether the committees have released any findings or publicly described the investigation’s next steps.
Why It Matters
- The invocation of the Fifth Amendment indicates that at least some questions in the deposition were treated as potentially exposing the witness to self-incrimination, shaping what information Congress can obtain through testimony alone.
- The involvement of multiple House committees indicates cross-panel coordination and may affect how the investigation narrows issues, requests documents, or pursues additional witness testimony.
- If the probe is expanding as reported, it could broaden the scope of any subsequent subpoenas or litigation steps that depend on congressional investigative findings.
- The absence of a provided transcript or official committee release limits what the public can confirm about the investigation’s specific targets, making further primary-source documentation important for accurate reporting.
Key Facts
- Matt DeBergalis, an ActBlue co-founder, invoked the Fifth Amendment during a closed-door deposition tied to a House fraud probe, according to a report published Aug. 21, 2026.
- The report says DeBergalis declined to answer substantive questions during the deposition.
- Zero Hedge says the deposition involved appearances before the House Committee on House Administration, the House Oversight Committee, and the House Judiciary Committee.
- The report characterizes the deposition as lasting less than half an hour and occurring as the probe widened.
- No deposition transcript, committee statement, or primary documentation was provided in the supplied materials for additional verification.