FEC System Outage Reported as Internal Email Points to Hack

We have a bad actor attempting to breach FEC systems. As a result, we’ve had to temporarily shut down our web facing services, an electronic filings officer wrote in an email to several campaign compliance firms, as reported by Reuters. The Federal Election Commission’s electronic filing system went offline at approximately 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, disrupting mandatory campaign finance disclosures just one week before the November 3 midterm elections.

Outage Blocks Reports for Most Expensive Election History

The system outage prevents political organizations from submitting critical 24-hour and 48-hour spending reports that track how much groups spend on specific races. According to data from the political ad tracker AdImpact cited by Reuters, the midterms stand as the most expensive U.S. election in history, with roughly $11.21 billion spent on advertising and future reservations. That total eclipses the previous record set during the 2024 elections, which saw $11.2 billion spent across all races, including $3.2 billion on the presidential contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Super PACs and dark money groups have driven much of the spending surge, contributing an average of over $50 million per day over the final week, according to Brendan Glavin, research director at the nonpartisan campaign watchdog group OpenSecrets. Glavin told Reuters that more than $250 million in spending was reported on October 20 alone. It’s a big deal, Glavin said of the disruption, adding that the outage leaves voters in the dark because these filings serve as the primary mechanism to track campaign expenditures in the closing days of the race.

Differing Accounts and Agency Responses

While an internal email reviewed by Reuters pointed directly to a malicious cyberattack, federal officials remained cautious about officially confirming the exact cause. FEC officials declined to comment on what triggered the outage or whether it stemmed from a hack. The Hill noted that agency representatives confirmed IT teams were working to restore the service while maintaining that the website’s public search function for past reports remained operational.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency directed all inquiries back to the FEC, according to Reuters, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FEC emphasized that the agency holds no role in administering actual elections, ensuring that the technology disruption will have no effect on voters casting ballots.

I’ve never seen this in 26 years, said Steven Mele, president and CEO of the political finance compliance firm MBA Consulting Group, as reported by Reuters. Mele pointed out that the immediate consequence is a temporary reduction in transparency across ongoing elections.

Technical Failure Hits Commission Lacking a Quorum

The technical failure hits an agency already operating under severe administrative strain. The six-member commission has lacked the four members required for official commission action since May 2025. It has remained unable to vote on enforcement matters, regulations, advisory opinions, and audits while operating with only two Democratic commissioners since October 2025. Although President Donald Trump nominated two Republicans to the commission in February, the Senate has not confirmed them.

The loss of a quorum does not shut down daily operations, allowing career staff to continue processing disclosure filings. However, an inspector general report revealed that the agency’s full-time workforce shrank from 363 employees in 2002 to 293 in 2022—marking a 19 percent decline.

House and Senate candidates facing accelerated disclosure rules must report contributions or loans of $1,000 or more within 48 hours during the final 20 days before an election, while political committees must report spending totaling $1,000 or more within 24 hours. The next major scheduled filing deadline for campaign finances is set for December 3, following the general election.