The FBI has an ongoing investigation into illegal straw donations and foreign money entering American elections.

Posted by VINCE, Sep 16, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 4 support
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 60%

VINCESep 16, 2026

FBI Director Patel told a Senate oversight hearing on 2026-09-16 that the FBI has jurisdiction over illegal straw donations and foreign money in American elections and that 'we have a lot ongoing,' which supports the claim as of the posting date. The record is a single unrated hearing transcript, and the specific cases are not public, so confidence is moderate.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What we found

Supports. In the 2026-09-16 FBI Oversight Hearing transcript, Director Patel answered 'We do, and we have a lot ongoing' when asked whether the FBI has jurisdiction over illegal straw donations and foreign money in elections, and confirmed 'Yes, sir' to ongoing investigations.[4]

Supports. The April 2025 White House presidential memorandum directed the Justice Department to investigate unlawful straw donor and foreign contributions in American elections, establishing that such investigations were called for.[1][2]

Supports. An FBI public service announcement dated 2026-10-15 lists conduit contributions, straw donor schemes, and contributions from foreign sources among the federal election crimes the FBI investigates, consistent with the FBI having such investigations.[3]

Context. Sources do not identify any specific FBI straw-donor or foreign-money case in an election, and the only direct statement is Patel's hearing testimony in a single transcript rated low credibility (0.40), so the claim rests on official statement rather than independent public documentation.[4]