DNC Lost Tens of Thousands to Scammer Pretending to Be Ken Martin

The Democratic National Committee was scammed out of nearly $29,000 by an email from someone pretending to be Chair Ken Martin last year, according to reporting from NOTUS.

This most recent blunder comes amid growing calls for Martin’s resignation after The New York Times’ report on the party’s internal dysfunction and general lack of funds.

“Schedule B supporting Line 29 of the Detailed Summary Page discloses a disbursement for ‘Misdisbursement—seeking return of funds’ totaling $28,860.92,” DNC senior campaign finance and reviewing analyst Jack Baisden wrote in a July 8, 2025, letter to treasurer Virginia McGregor. “This transaction appears to be related to an apparent unauthorized disbursement of Committee funds. Although the Commission may take further legal action regarding this apparent improper use of Committee funds, any further clarifying information that you can provide will be taken into consideration.”

The fraudulent request was made in February 2025, and fulfilled by a staffer who no longer works for the DNC. Just $7,000 of the $28,860.92 has been recovered.

“The DNC takes seriously our duty to protect the funds provided to us by millions of patriotic Americans chipping in to fund our mission,” spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said to NOTUS. “This was a one-off mistake that was promptly caught and addressed, and no similar issues have occurred since.”

It’s hard to view this situation as just a one-off in the context of the greater chaos within the DNC. Various politicians and both national committees have been hit with fraud and embezzlement scams over the years. But Martin’s DNC falling prey to this one wouldn’t feel so ridiculous if they weren’t already $18.5 million in debt and dealing with a report from the Times detailing Martin’s paranoia-driven July outburst, in which he threw a phone at an aide. Multiple notable voices have called for his resignation since, and that doesn’t take the drama around the DNC’s lack of transparency over the 2024 autopsy into account.

This has all been very embarrassing. Martin can’t raise money, can’t keep money, and can’t unite the base under the “big tent” he likes to talk about. While his term is up in 2029, it certainly seems that his days as chairman are numbered. ...