Iranian hackers, with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have been sending “unsolicited emails” containing stolen material from former President Donald Trump’s campaign to people associated with his Democratic political rival, President Joe Biden. The FBI, along with other government agencies, condemned the efforts as an attempt to undermine confidence in the electoral process and stoke discord. The agencies also warned of growing foreign efforts to meddle in U.S. elections, particularly from Russia, Iran, and China. The Iranian hackers have been attempting to transmit nonpublic stolen material to media organizations. The FBI is closely tracking these activities.
The Trump campaign accused Iran of attempting to help Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee, due to concerns that Trump will reinstate tough sanctions on Iran. However, Harris’s campaign has denied any involvement in the hacking attempt, stating that a few individuals associated with the campaign received suspicious emails that appeared to be phishing attempts. Law enforcement agencies have confirmed that information stolen from the Trump campaign was sent to some individuals linked to Biden’s campaign, but there is no evidence that they responded to the emails.
The Justice Department plans to file criminal charges in connection with the hacking of Trump’s campaign, according to reports. Iran’s mission to the United Nations has denied their role in the operation, but the Justice Department has previously charged Iranians with election meddling during the 2020 presidential election. In 2021, two Iranians were indicted for a cyber-enabled campaign to intimidate and influence American voters.
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