The FBI announced on Wednesday that Iranian hackers have attempted to intervene in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The hackers sent emails to contacts of President Joe Biden’s campaign, using information allegedly stolen from former President Donald Trump’s campaign. The messages included excerpts from Trump's campaign documents aiming to lure Biden's team.
The FBI found no evidence that anyone responded to these emails. Kamala Harris' campaign called the emails “unwelcome and unacceptable malicious activity,” treating them mostly as spam or phishing. Harris's campaign spokesperson, Morgan Finkelstein, stated, “We condemn in the strongest terms any effort by foreign actors to interfere in US elections.”
The emails were sent before Trump’s campaign publicly acknowledged the hack on August 10. Iranian hackers reportedly stole and spread confidential Trump campaign documents. News outlets, including Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, received these materials but have not reported the details.
Politico noted that it began receiving emails on July 22 from an account named “Robert.” The emails included a research file on Ohio Senator JD Vance, who was later chosen as Trump’s running mate. The document was dated February 23, long before Vance was picked.
The FBI's statement highlights continuing Iranian attempts to disrupt U.S. elections and weaken trust in democratic processes. Intelligence officials said Iran opposes Trump’s reelection, fearing increased tensions with the U.S. under his leadership. Trump's administration previously withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran, re-imposed sanctions, and ordered the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, leading to threats of retaliation.
The FBI notified Trump’s aides that the stolen information had been sent to Biden’s campaign. Both Biden's and Trump’s campaigns have enhanced their cybersecurity to address these threats.
At a recent Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, executives from Meta, Google, and Microsoft shared their strategies to protect the upcoming election from cyberattacks and disinformation. Microsoft President Brad Smith warned, “The most perilous time I think will come 48 hours before the election.”
The FBI found no evidence that anyone responded to these emails. Kamala Harris' campaign called the emails “unwelcome and unacceptable malicious activity,” treating them mostly as spam or phishing. Harris's campaign spokesperson, Morgan Finkelstein, stated, “We condemn in the strongest terms any effort by foreign actors to interfere in US elections.”
The emails were sent before Trump’s campaign publicly acknowledged the hack on August 10. Iranian hackers reportedly stole and spread confidential Trump campaign documents. News outlets, including Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, received these materials but have not reported the details.
Politico noted that it began receiving emails on July 22 from an account named “Robert.” The emails included a research file on Ohio Senator JD Vance, who was later chosen as Trump’s running mate. The document was dated February 23, long before Vance was picked.
The FBI's statement highlights continuing Iranian attempts to disrupt U.S. elections and weaken trust in democratic processes. Intelligence officials said Iran opposes Trump’s reelection, fearing increased tensions with the U.S. under his leadership. Trump's administration previously withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran, re-imposed sanctions, and ordered the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, leading to threats of retaliation.
The FBI notified Trump’s aides that the stolen information had been sent to Biden’s campaign. Both Biden's and Trump’s campaigns have enhanced their cybersecurity to address these threats.
At a recent Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, executives from Meta, Google, and Microsoft shared their strategies to protect the upcoming election from cyberattacks and disinformation. Microsoft President Brad Smith warned, “The most perilous time I think will come 48 hours before the election.”
