AP – The U.S. Department of Justice is preparing criminal charges in connection with an Iranian cyberattack targeting Donald Trump's presidential campaign in an attempt to influence the outcome of the November election, according to two people familiar with the matter.
It is unclear when the charges will be announced or who will be charged, but they are the result of an FBI investigation into an incursion that investigators from multiple agencies quickly linked to an Iranian effort to sway U.S. politics.
The prospect of criminal charges comes as the Department of Justice has warned of aggressive efforts by countries like Russia and Iran to interfere in the presidential election between Trump and Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. These efforts include hacking and covert social media campaigns designed to shift public opinion.
"Iran is making a greater effort to influence this year’s election than it has in previous cycles, and Iranian activity is becoming increasingly aggressive as we approach the election," said Deputy Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department’s top national security official, in a speech Thursday in New York City.
It is unclear when the charges will be announced or who will be charged, but they are the result of an FBI investigation into an incursion that investigators from multiple agencies quickly linked to an Iranian effort to sway U.S. politics.
The prospect of criminal charges comes as the Department of Justice has warned of aggressive efforts by countries like Russia and Iran to interfere in the presidential election between Trump and Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. These efforts include hacking and covert social media campaigns designed to shift public opinion.
"Iran is making a greater effort to influence this year’s election than it has in previous cycles, and Iranian activity is becoming increasingly aggressive as we approach the election," said Deputy Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department’s top national security official, in a speech Thursday in New York City.
Trump's campaign team revealed on August 10 that it had been the victim of a hacking attack, pointing to Iranian actors as the culprits who had stolen and distributed confidential internal documents.
At least three major media outlets—Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post—received leaked confidential material from inside Trump’s campaign. So far, all three outlets have refused to disclose details about what they received.
At least three major media outlets—Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post—received leaked confidential material from inside Trump’s campaign. So far, all three outlets have refused to disclose details about what they received.
Politico reported that on July 22, it began receiving emails from an anonymous account. The source—an AOL email account identified only as “Robert”—provided what appeared to be a research file the Trump campaign had allegedly compiled on the Republican vice-presidential candidate, Ohio Senator JD Vance.
The document was dated February 23, nearly five months before Trump selected Vance as his running mate.
The FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency later blamed Iran for the hacking, as well as for an attempt to breach the campaign of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
The document was dated February 23, nearly five months before Trump selected Vance as his running mate.
The FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency later blamed Iran for the hacking, as well as for an attempt to breach the campaign of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.