The New McCarthyism: House Republicans Target Private Citizens for Political Retribution

For more than a year now, the owners and employees of Authentic have faced intense personal harassment (including death threats). Congressman Jim Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee have used official congressional power to engage in a campaign of abuse, intimidation, and retaliation against Authentic. Their only crime? Authentic employee, Loren Merchan, has a familial connection to a judge presiding over Donald Trump’s fraud case in New York City. Simply being related to a judge has been enough for far-right conspiracy theorists and members of Congress to target Authentic with baseless accusations.

And Authentic is not the only company facing this type of abuse. ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, has also faced baseless accusations and investigations. Just last month, Republicans in the House Administration Committee announced they have expanded an ongoing investigation into ActBlue based on unspecified, unclear accusations. Republican state officials in Virginia, South Carolina and Wyoming have also announced investigations targeting ActBlue in recent weeks.

ActBlue’s only crime? Trump’s political opponent, Kamala Harris, has been too successful at raising money.

The investigations into Authentic and ActBlue are just an extension of Trump’s ongoing vendetta against anyone connected to his mounting legal woes– and quite frankly anyone he views as an obstacle to his own desire for power. It’s political retribution, pure and simple. We are witnessing a disturbing return to McCarthyism—a period in American history where political leaders abused their power to target innocent citizens under the guise of rooting out enemies. In the 1950s, it was the Red Scare. Today, it’s anyone who dares to oppose Trump or is even tangentially connected to those who do. The far-right wing of the Republican Party, led by figures like Jim Jordan, has weaponized congressional authority to harass, intimidate, and discredit political opponents. This abuse of power is un-American and sets a dangerous precedent for American politics.

These investigations represent something larger than just political gamesmanship—it’s part of a broader, more dangerous trend. If Trump and his allies succeed in this strategy of intimidation and deflection, it will not stop at businesses like Authentic or ActBlue. The targets will widen to include any company or staffer deemed an obstacle to Trump’s political ambitions.

If this new era of McCarthyism is to be stopped, it will require more than outrage—it will require action. We must demand accountability and a rejection of the politics of fear and intimidation. This abuse of power must be called out for what it is—an attack on democracy itself. If left unchecked, it will only grow worse. The stakes are too high to remain silent.