The FBI has launched an investigation into claims that documents from Donald Trump’s presidential campaign were stolen through a cyber intrusion, potentially by Iranian operatives. This investigation also covers attempts to breach the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris. These developments follow shortly after the Trump campaign announced it had been hacked by Iranian forces.
In a brief statement, the FBI confirmed, “We can confirm the FBI is investigating this matter,” addressing the claims made by Trump’s team. However, the Trump campaign has not yet provided concrete evidence linking Iran to the alleged cyber attack.
The claims surfaced after a report by Microsoft highlighted efforts by foreign agents to meddle in the 2024 US election. The report noted a specific incident involving an Iranian military intelligence unit, which in June attempted to send a “spear-phishing email to a high-ranking official of a presidential campaign from a compromised email account of a former senior advisor.”
Anonymous sources have revealed that the Biden-Harris campaign was also targeted in the suspected Iranian cyber attack. The sources, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly, confirmed that the FBI is looking into these incidents as well.
According to Politico, on July 22, it began receiving emails from an anonymous account identified as “Robert,” using an AOL email address. The emails contained what appeared to be a research dossier on Ohio Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee. The document was dated February 23, nearly five months before Trump selected Vance as his running mate.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung condemned the intrusion, stating, “These documents were obtained illegally” and were “intended to interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our Democratic process.”
The Biden-Harris campaign also faced phishing attempts targeting at least three staffers, though there is no evidence to suggest these attempts were successful. These phishing attempts occurred before President Joe Biden withdrew from the race. The FBI started its investigation into this cyber incident in June, with intelligence officials attributing the attempts to Iranian actors.
In recent months, officials have communicated with technology companies about the possibility of individuals connected to both the Trump and Biden-Harris campaigns being targeted via email.
In response to the ongoing investigations, Harris’ campaign issued a statement affirming, “Our campaign vigilantly monitors and protects against cyber threats, and we are not aware of any security breaches of our systems.” However, they did not confirm whether any state-based intrusion attempts had been detected.
The FBI’s investigation into these alleged Iranian cyber attacks underscores the persistent threat of foreign interference in US elections. Both the Trump and Biden-Harris campaigns have been caught in the crosshairs of these cyber operations, highlighting the importance of cybersecurity in political campaigns. As the 2024 election approaches, the vigilance of all parties involved will be crucial in safeguarding the democratic process.
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