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Posted on 09/29/2026 4:29:05 PM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
Republican candidates lost out on an estimated $117 million in donations during two periods last year in which fundraising emails were being aggressively labeled spam by Google’s Gmail, Microsoft Outlook and Yahoo, according to a bombshell study.
The first period identified by researchers ran from June 30th, 2025, when GOP consulting firm Targeted Victory first alerted Google that WinRed fundraising emails were being labeled as spam, through Sept. 15 of last year, when Google stopped using a popular spam “blacklist” that was improperly flagging emails, as The Post exclusively reported.
The problem wasn’t just limited to Gmail, the study revealed. Between those two dates, spam filtering tanked first-time donations on WinRed by a whopping 75% compared to normal levels across Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo.
The GOP has long alleged that its fundraising emails are getting disproportionately caught up in spam filters.
A review of inbox-placement data showed a similar trend that took place on Outlook only from February through April of last year, when first-time WinRed donations plunged 83% compared to normal levels due to spam filtering.
Combined, the two periods in which WinRed fundraising emails weren’t hitting inboxes cost the GOP a total of 142,126 in expected first-time donations, the little-noticed study published on July 7 found. The researchers, Cameron Ellis of the University of Iowa and Lars Powell of the University of Alabama, estimated that those missing donations would have amounted to $117 million, based on a review of data from the Federal Election Commission.
The figure was significant when compared to reported fundraising totals by major Republican groups. The Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raked in a combined $377 million in 2025.
The analysis could reignite long-running complaints by Republicans who have accused Google and
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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Same here, it is way out of control. Too many emails, phone calls, etc. They all get thrown in the trash. I don't mind one or two a week, but dozens every day is annoying! I cut back on donations because of the spam.
Spam filters on email have gotten pretty good. The past year, the fundraising has switched to text messages with all sorts of pleas:
“I beg of you”
“My father asked me to contact you”
“Why haven’t you responded?”
“This is your last chance” (if only)
“Your $5,000 DOGE check awaits”
“If you don’t respond, your dog gets it”
I keep hitting Delete/Spam but nothing stops the flood.
WinRed acts like spam. It’s so bad I consider it spam. I’ve complained to the GOP for years to dump it.
Nope. They still use it. Stupidity at its finest.
“”””WinRed acts like spam. It’s so bad I consider it spam. I’ve complained to the GOP for years to dump it.
Nope. They still use it. Stupidity at its finest.””””
Whoever runs the show at the GOP should be looking at what the DEMs are doing.
For instance, James Talerico has been running a short ad on youtube videos where he asks his followers to donate five bucks.
Not sure how successful Talerico’s ad is, but at least it is not an email cluttering my inbox like the GOP does.
I donated to WinRed in the 2020 cycle. Big mistake. TONS of their junk. I got it all blocked and never donated again.
So...will there be any consequences for Google?
In the grand scheme of things, this “bombshell” will hardly be known by anyone.
Same candidate, twenty spoofed numbers, each blocked. I prefer a communist, but I could punch him in the face just as giddily.
One I’ve gotten was something like “Donate to Rudy Giuliani’s Legal Defense Fund.” But then some 3rd party was handling it and it was difficult to tell if the money really would be going to his defense fund.
WinRed was taking $100 each month for about 8 months before I noticed the automatic withdrawals on my credit card. The problem is that I NEVER made a first donation to WinRed, let alone a n agreement for a monthly withdrawal. I give to individuals, not GOP groups, ever, because Deep State candidates benefit from generic contributions. Something is very fishy about them.
If you don’t like Spam, don’t donate to the NRA online. I gave some money and now I get 15-25 “flash” requests every week. I’ve opted out - several times - but no luck.
The spam filters have been in place since 2005.
The GOP JUST discovered it?
The best $$$ maker is doing what you promised and kicking out useless GOP senators.
Sounds like they are spam. Rather than the official GOP web site actually being a resource for news and opinions for God and country, it has little to offer.
Yeah, WinRed doesn’t need any help to be considered spam.
Appeals from every Gop personality and pleas from the Donald fill my inbox. They get past all my filters.
When one of my credit card issuers sent me an “inactivity warning” I used it to give a one-time ONE DOLLAR donation to “Win Red” text link.
Worse dollar I ever spent in my life.
Every day thereafter:
ID caller
Block caller
Delete text
Delete and report as spam.
I’ve wasted hours of my seventh decade life trying to stifle the spam.
Now if it were delivered to me as canned “Korean BBQ” that would be a slightly different matter...
Blocking the calling number helps an itty bitty wittly.
Donations are down?
Could that be because the republicans never fail to disappoint?
Naaahhh
I used to respond with “Stop” to see if I got a response, saying I had successfully unsubscribed in which case I would just delete the text. But they started using same blaring crap statements that phishers use so I just label them as SPAM and block them - over the last 2 years, I’ve accumulated a list of several hundred blocked numbers. Their tactics are not smart and allow many actual scammers to blend right in if one isn’t vigilant - so I just label/block them all these days.
Any unsolicited email that arrives in my Inbox is blocked and reported as spam regardless of where it comes from. I see a lot of GOP because they have sold my address as a donor. block it/ I do my best to block it.
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