Cyberattack Disrupts US Campaign Finance Filings Days Before Midterms

An attempted cyberattack forced the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) to shut down its electronic filing system days before the November 3 midterm elections, disrupting mandatory campaign spending disclosures, Reuters reported, citing an internal email.

The outage comes during the final stretch of campaigning, when political organisations and super PACs are spending heavily on contests that will determine control of Congress.

Spending disclosures disrupted

An email sent by an FEC electronic filings officer to campaign compliance firms on Monday night said an attacker was attempting to breach the agency’s systems, prompting a temporary shutdown of its web-facing services, according to Reuters.

The disruption prevented political organisations from submitting mandatory 24-hour and 48-hour spending reports. These disclosures help the public track money flowing into specific races during the closing days of a campaign.

Previously filed reports remained searchable on the FEC website.

The commission confirmed that its electronic filing system was offline and said its information technology staff were working to restore service. It later said the issue had been identified and a fix was being implemented.

Voting systems are separate

The FEC monitors campaign finance disclosures and enforces federal campaign finance law. It does not administer elections.

The disruption is therefore not expected to affect voters’ ability to cast ballots. Its immediate consequence is a delay in the flow of information about campaign spending before polling day.

The agency did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation referred questions to the FEC, the report said.

Control of Congress at stake

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and approximately one-third of Senate seats are being contested. The results will determine whether President Donald Trump’s Republican Party retains its congressional majorities and shape his ability to advance legislation during the remainder of his term.

Trump has said he would respect the results if the elections were conducted honestly. He has also announced a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people involved in voter fraud linked to previous elections or the upcoming midterms.

A CBS News/YouGov poll published on Sunday projected Democrats winning 229 House seats, enough for a majority, while leaving Republicans a narrow path to retaining control.

The survey of 2,355 US adults, conducted between October 21 and 23, identified inflation, prices and economic concerns as central issues. It also suggested turnout could prove decisive: Democratic voters were more likely to say they were certain to vote or had already voted early, while less committed voters tended to lean Republican.

With inputs from ANI