Have political donations been made in your name without your knowledge? The Election Fairness Institute (EFI) is launching a Victim Data Collection Program to document cases where everyday Americans’ personal information may have been used to funnel money into political campaigns. Our researchers have found that the personally identifiable information of tens of thousands of donors is circulating in data systems that sell it to political campaigns, and that some of this data appears to be tied to a scheme that hides illegal campaign financing behind stolen identities.
Campaign donation identity theft does more than violate your privacy. It undermines the contribution limits and disclosure laws designed to keep foreign and special-interest money out of American elections. If you’ve seen donations under your name in FEC records that you never made, EFI wants to hear from you.
Who May Be Affected
- Donors who find contributions in FEC records that they did not make
- Individuals whose personal information has been compromised or sold without consent
- Anyone who suspects their identity was used to make donations to candidates or PACs
How to Report
Email EFI at ActBlueVictim@GoEFI.org with your name, state, and a description of any donations you believe were made in your name.
Press Release: For Immediate Release
PHOENIX, Ariz., October 12, 2026: The main pathway for campaign finance fraud is the internet. EFI researchers have found that tens of thousands of individual donors’ personally identifiable information (PII) may be found in data collection systems that sell their information to political campaigns. These systems are implicated in a scheme that relies on identity theft to hide illegal campaign financing activities.
The Federal Election Campaign Act
The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 and its 1974 Amendments created a modern framework by requiring detailed disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures, limiting media spending, and establishing the legal basis for political action committees (PACs).
The 1974 Amendments made three key changes:
- Imposed contribution limits (e.g., $1,000 per individual per candidate per election)
- Created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as an independent enforcement agency
- Strengthened overall regulation and reporting
Donations Made Without Donors’ Knowledge
To get around individual limits and to facilitate illegal foreign money influence in American elections, at least one platform has engaged in making campaign donations to candidates and PACs in the name of donors, without their knowledge.
If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, or that your PII has been compromised and used in this nefarious scheme, you may be eligible to join a potential class action.
Contact EFI at ActBlueVictim@GoEFI.org
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002, known as McCain-Feingold, is the most recent major campaign finance reform law. Its key provisions include:
- Banning national political parties from raising or spending unregulated soft money (unlimited contributions often used for party-building activities that influenced federal races)
- Restricting “electioneering communications” (broadcast ads naming federal candidates within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election, funded by corporate or union treasury money)
- Raising hard-money contribution limits (e.g., individual-to-candidate limits from $1,000 to $2,000 per election) and indexing many of them to inflation
Parts of BCRA were later limited or struck down by the Supreme Court, most notably in Citizens United v. FEC (2010), which allowed corporations and unions to make unlimited independent expenditures. The soft-money ban on national parties largely remains in effect.
About the Election Fairness Institute: The Election Fairness Institute, Inc. (EFI) is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) engaged in the analysis of election procedure, process, and system components that demonstrate potential defects impacting election security, transparency, and ultimately integrity. Such defects cut across all political lines and get to the heart of the “Equal Protection” clause of the Fourteenth Amendment for every American citizen.
Election Fairness Institute, Inc. | P.O. Box 44836, Phoenix, AZ 85064