Ethical Hacking News
The Unrelenting Rise of Political Violence: How Politicians Are Spending More Money on Security
In recent years, politicians are facing an unprecedented level of threats and violence. According to a new report, federal campaign spending on security has skyrocketed, with campaigns and committees spending nearly 400% more in the 2023-2024 cycle compared to eight years prior. The article explores the reasons behind this trend and how it is affecting politicians.
Federal campaign and political action committee spending on security during the 2024 election cycle was over five times the amount spent ahead of the 2016 election. A new report found that violent threats against public servants and their families are rising at all levels of government, with a 3,700% increase between 2015 and 2025. The costs of addressing such threats include securing campaign events, digital security, home alarms, fencing, and personal information protection. Legislatures are considering reforms to allow candidates to pay for security using campaign funds, as only a handful of states have laws explicitly allowing this. A new fund launched by the National Conference of State Legislatures aims to provide money for legislators to invest in personal security. The need for politicians to take action to protect themselves and their families is a concern, with many facing threats from both sides of the political spectrum.
In recent years, politicians have been increasingly spending more money on security measures as they face an unprecedented level of threats and violence. According to a new report published by the Security Project at Public Service Alliance, federal campaign and political action committee spending on security during the 2024 election cycle was over five times the amount spent ahead of the 2016 election.
The jump in spending comes as violent threats against public servants and their families are rising at all levels of government. Justin Sherman, interim vice president of the Security Project and the author of the report, finds the rising costs of addressing such threats concerning and says that for some candidates, it can create additional financial pressure.
"No candidate, regardless of party, regardless of where in the country they're running, should have to weigh serving in public office against threats to them or their families," Sherman says.
Minnesota State Capitol workers reported an increase in threats from 18 incidents in 2024 to 92 in 2025, and in the first two months of 2026, there were 45. Other research by the Public Service Alliance has found that reported threats against public servants' families increased 3,700 percent between 2015 and 2025.
A 2025 survey from Pew Research Center found an overwhelming number of Americans on both sides of the political spectrum agreed that politically motivated violence is increasing. The Public Service Alliance report looks at spending data tracked by the Federal Election Commission over the past 10 years.
While a large portion of the costs identified are related to securing campaign events, spending on digital security, such as data deletion or online threat monitoring services, has skyrocketed. According to the report, campaigns and committees spent just over $900,000 in the 2023-2024 cycle, compared to around $184,000 in the cycle eight years prior—a nearly 400 percent increase.
Spending to secure candidates' homes, such as purchases of home alarms and fencing, also increased, doubling from around $130,000 during the 2017-2018 cycle to just over $300,000 in the 2023-2024 cycle.
Legislatures are considering reforms that would ensure that political candidates could pay to secure their offices, homes, and personal information while on the campaign trail. Right now, only a handful of states have laws that explicitly say that candidates can use campaign funds to pay for security, says Helen Brewer, a senior policy specialist at the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Brewer says that legislators have said they've seen an uptick in threats and incidents, and it's happening to people on both sides of the aisle in various states. "It's people seeing it all over the place, which is unfortunate," Brewer says.
Utah state senator Mike McKell, who is currently serving his 14th year in his state's legislature, also spoke about the issue. His personal law office has been vandalized, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle have had their homes vandalized, tires slashed, and targeted in other ways.
McKell recently helped pass an election law that includes language that makes it clear that candidates and officeholders can use campaign money to purchase security systems for their offices, homes, and places of business. He says that the part about his bill that he hates the most is the part about security—but it's because we need it, and because it's been a problem in the state of Utah.
Minnesota State Senator Bonnie Westlin also spoke about the issue, saying "That's not what public service should include. We're all here to do the work for our communities and our state." She and state senator John Hoffman have introduced a bill that aims to make it easier for candidates to protect themselves. If passed, the bill would exclude candidates' street addresses from public versions of campaign filings, potentially making it more difficult for people like the gunman who was allegedly found with notes that included several lawmakers' names and addresses to stalk and harass candidates.
The NSCL recently launched a fund in February that would allow states to provide money for their legislators to invest in personal security. The funds, which would have to be provided equally to every lawmaker regardless of their political affiliation, could be used for things like privacy monitoring services or self-defense training. "There's been lots of interest and gratitude among the legislators we've spoken to," says Katie Zeigler, NSCL's associate director of outreach and engagement.
Sherman also notes that limitations in the FEC data can make it difficult to track whether security spending is proactive or reactive. Disbursement forms filled out by campaigns only require a brief description for what was purchased and don't typically include much else.
The rising costs of addressing threats against public servants are a concern, but they highlight the need for politicians to take action to protect themselves and their families. As Sherman says, "No candidate, regardless of party, regardless of where in the country they're running, should have to weigh serving in public office against threats to them or their families."
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Unrelenting-Rise-of-Political-Violence-How-Politicians-Are-Spending-More-Money-on-Security-ehn.shtml
https://www.wired.com/story/political-campaign-security-spending/
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2026-04-09/era-of-political-violence-means-higher-costs-for-candidate-security-a-new-report-says
Published: Thu Apr 9 06:17:30 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
