In a concerning development ahead of the November election, U.S. intelligence agencies and the FBI have confirmed that Iranian hackers distributed hacked information from Donald Trump’s electoral campaign to individuals linked to the Biden campaign.
The hack reportedly occurred in late June and early July, according to an FBI statement on Wednesday.
Officials say the hackers sent unsolicited emails containing sensitive information to several Biden associates, but there is no evidence to suggest any of the recipients responded. This activity took place before Joe Biden dropped out of the race for president.
The hacking is part of a broader strategy by Iran to “stoke discord” and undermine confidence in U.S. institutions, according to officials. Iran has allegedly sought access to both the Democratic and Republican campaigns through “social engineering and other efforts,” a tactic it has previously used in other countries alongside Russia.
In August, U.S. officials warned that foreign actors were trying to disrupt the upcoming elections. The FBI’s latest statement emphasized that since June, Iranian hackers have been actively attempting to send stolen Trump campaign material to U.S. media outlets.
Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for Trump’s campaign, called the incident proof that Iran was interfering to benefit Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris. She accused Biden and Harris of needing to explain what happened to the hacked materials. “What did they know and when did they know it?” Leavitt asked.
Former President Trump echoed these sentiments, telling supporters that “they [Iran] gave them all the materials because Biden is working with Iran.”
The Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson, Morgan Finkelstein, responded by stating that the campaign has fully cooperated with authorities and condemned any foreign interference.
Finkelstein clarified that while some individuals were targeted with what appeared to be phishing emails, no campaign materials had been directly sent to them.
Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations has firmly denied any involvement, stating that Iran “neither has any motive nor intent to interfere in the U.S. election.”
The FBI continues its investigation, working closely with the victims of the hack to prevent further disruptions.
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