FEC filing system outage impacts crypto PAC spending transparency
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Written by
Simonas Brazionis - Updated 2026-10-28 21:47:11
The U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing system is currently offline due to a reported hack. This disruption could impact the transparency of expenditures by super political action committees (PACs) and other groups, especially in the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections.
As of Tuesday evening UTC, the FEC confirmed an ongoing “electronic filing system outage” and stated that efforts are underway to resolve the issue. While public access to existing campaign finance data remains available, concerns are rising that last-minute spending may not be reported promptly.
For instance, six days before Election Day, FEC filings showed no new expenditures from crypto industry-aligned Super PACs such as Fairshake, Defend American Jobs, Protect Progress, Fellowship, and Digital Freedom Fund since Sunday.
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Reporting Requirements and Recent Filings
Super PACs are legally required to report expenditures of $1,000 or more to the FEC within 24 hours. Similarly, House and Senate candidates must report contributions of $1,000 or more within 48 hours during the 20-day period preceding an election.
Before the outage, the Digital Freedom Fund, established by Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, reported spending over $572,000 on text messages. These messages primarily supported Ken Paxton's campaign in Texas and various other Republican Senate candidates. Protect Progress's last reported expenditure exceeded $50,000 for a direct mail campaign backing Representative Aisha Wahab in California's 14th district.
Crypto Industry's Stake in 2026 Midterms
The 2026 midterms are considered highly significant for the crypto industry, which actively advocates for digital asset legislation at both federal and state levels. Following the failure of a crypto market structure bill in Congress in September, groups like Fairshake have supported the reelection of legislators who voted in favor of the bill.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that an email indicated the disruption was caused by a hacker targeting the FEC website. An FEC spokesperson confirmed that IT staff are actively working to restore service to the FEC filing system.
Significant Spending in Ohio Senate Race
In a related development, Fairshake spent approximately $41 million in 2024 opposing Senator Sherrod Brown's reelection bid against Republican Bernie Moreno in Ohio. Brown lost his Senate seat but announced a 2026 run against incumbent Jon Husted, potentially leading to further crypto industry funding for attack advertisements.
Before the FEC outage, Fairshake reported $56 million in media spending against Brown and in support of Husted, while the Digital Freedom Fund disclosed over $7 million for the same race. These crypto PACs are among numerous organizations, including Democratic- and Republican-aligned groups, reportedly spending tens of millions to influence Ohio voters in the 2026 midterms.
