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IRS glitch masked $51m in political donations, finance watchdog says
Government Transparency

IRS glitch masked $51m in political donations, finance watchdog says

The Guardian US News
by Lauren Aratani in New York
March 20, 2026
6 views
2 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

An IRS glitch masked $51 million in political donations to state-level election groups in late 2025, hindering transparency.

How This Affects You

Lack of transparency in political donations means you cannot fully track funding for key state-level elections.

AI Summary

A technical glitch at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is masking $51 million in political donations made to state-level election groups during the second half of 2025, according to the Center for Political Accountability. This error affects campaign contributions to key governor and attorney general races. The campaign finance watchdog stated that the understaffed IRS, which saw over a quarter of its workforce reduced after significant cuts, is responsible for the technical issue. This situation means a substantial amount of political funding remains unaccounted for, hindering transparency in state-level elections.

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