FBI Investigates Allegations of Iranian Hack on Trump Campaign

Trump's Sentencing Postponed Until After Election

The FBI has launched an investigation into claims by the Trump campaign that it was targeted by hackers allegedly linked to the Iranian government.

In a brief statement on Monday, the FBI confirmed that it was probing the matter but did not directly mention former President Trump or Iran by name.

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said that sensitive documents were unlawfully accessed by “foreign sources hostile to the United States.” However, Iranian officials have dismissed any involvement, and the U.S. government is yet to formally accuse Iran of the cyberattack.

According to reports, the FBI is also examining whether the Biden-Harris campaign was similarly targeted by Iranian hackers. This follows a report from Microsoft, which revealed that an unnamed U.S. presidential campaign had been the focus of a spear-phishing attack in June.

Former President Trump stated on Saturday that the hackers were only able to access publicly available information.

The FBI reportedly initiated its investigation earlier this summer after both campaigns experienced attempted phishing attacks.

The Washington Post reported that three members of the Biden-Harris campaign were targeted by phishing emails just days before President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the race.

A spokesperson for the Harris campaign asserted that their team “vigilantly monitors and protects against cyber threats” and added that they were unaware of any security breaches.

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The FBI’s investigation into the hacking attempts began in June, according to the Washington Post.

Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff has urged the FBI to quickly disclose what it knows, citing concerns that the U.S. intelligence community was too slow in responding to Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Congressman Eric Swalwell has also called for a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security regarding the alleged hack of Trump’s campaign.

He emphasized that while he considers Trump “the most despicable person ever to seek office,” America should never tolerate foreign interference in its elections.

In 2016, Trump famously encouraged Russia to hack his opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. U.S. security officials had previously warned of an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, though this was unrelated to a recent attempted shooting in Pennsylvania.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice recently charged a Pakistani man, allegedly linked to Iran, with plotting to assassinate U.S. officials, potentially including the former president.

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Stephen Jesuwale

Jesuwale Stephen is a journalist who finished from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism. He is a distinctive writer, media strategist and also a Digital Marketer