US federal election commission shuts down some services on its website after hacking attempt: Report

US federal election commission shuts down some services on its website after hacking attempt: Report

The update came after Reuters reported that hackers allegedly tried to breach it.

The US Federal Election Commission, which tracks spendings of candidates in elections, said Tuesday that some of the services on its websites are down.

The FEC requires political candidates and committees to update their spending on its website every 24 to 48 hours. Reuters reported that it has seen an email from inside the FEC confirming that hackers tried to breach the website’s systems. FEC has not confirmed the reported hacking attempt.

In a statement to Reuters, the commission only said the electronic filing system on the website is down and the “IT staff are actively working to restore service. The electronic filing system allows candidates and political committees to submit documents related to their spending in the elections.

It is unclear for how long the website’s filing system has been down since Tuesday afternoon. The FEC has not provided a clear timeline on when it could be back. This story is developing.

Coming just weeks before the US midterm elections in November, the breach report has raised concerns, despite the FEC’s limited role as an election watchdog.