Hackers Target FEC Systems Ahead of Midterms
Hackers attempt to breach FEC systems just days before midterms, disrupting campaign finance disclosures.
2 min read
Just days before the midterm elections, hackers attempted to breach the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) systems, forcing the agency to shut down electronic filing services and disrupting public access to campaign finance disclosures. The attempted intrusion prompted FEC cybersecurity staff to take affected systems offline late Monday, according to an email reviewed by Reuters. The agency’s filing platform remained unavailable Wednesday morning, even after officials said they had identified the problem and were implementing a fix.
Disruption Amid High Spending
The timing is particularly concerning as campaigns and outside political groups pour money into competitive congressional races ahead of Election Day on November 3. The outage has interrupted an important source of information for voters, journalists, and watchdog groups trying to follow the money behind federal campaigns.
An FEC electronic filings official warned campaign compliance firms that a “bad actor” was attempting to breach the agency’s systems, according to Reuters. The official said the agency had temporarily shut down public-facing services in response. A person familiar with the situation told Politico that FEC cybersecurity staff detected attempted intrusions early and shut down the affected parts of the filing system. The person described the incident as “quite narrow and compartmentalized” and said investigators did not yet know who was responsible.
Impact on Campaign Reporting
The outage prevents political campaigns and committees from electronically submitting certain required reports on contributions and spending, including filings that ordinarily provide near-real-time insight into election activity. During the final weeks before an election, federal candidates must report certain contributions or loans of $1,000 or more within 48 hours. Political committees must report qualifying independent expenditures within 24 hours.
The disruption comes amid an exceptionally expensive election cycle. AdImpact estimated that spending on political advertising and future reservations had reached approximately $11.21 billion, surpassing the record set during the 2024 elections. Outside groups have been spending at a particularly rapid pace in the final days of the campaign. OpenSecrets research director Brendan Glavin told Reuters that super PACs and “dark-money” groups had averaged more than $50 million in daily spending over the preceding week, with more than $250 million reported on October 20 alone.
FEC’s Operational Challenges
The FEC’s electronic filing disruption means some new disclosures may not become publicly available on their normal schedule. Previously submitted reports remain searchable, but the interruption limits the public’s ability to follow newly reported spending as it occurs. The FEC said in an automated email to filers that campaigns would not be fined for missed submissions provided they filed within 24 hours after the electronic filing system returned to service.
The incident has also drawn attention to the condition of the agency responsible for enforcing federal campaign finance law. The six-member FEC has lacked the four commissioners needed to take official action since May 2025. It has operated with only two commissioners since October 2025, following commissioner departures and President Donald Trump’s removal of Democratic Chair Ellen Weintraub.
Source: Daily Wire
