Three Iranian nationals have been charged by US authorities for hacking into Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Three Iranian nationals have been charged by US authorities for hacking into Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Prosecutors identified Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi as members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They allegedly engaged in a “hack and leak” operation aimed at undermining a specific presidential campaign, which was later revealed to be Trump’s campaign.
US officials reported that the hackers attempted to distribute stolen materials from the Trump campaign to individuals linked to Joe Biden’s re-election campaign. The three men face 18 charges, including wire fraud, identity theft, material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and hacking-related offenses.
In August, the Trump campaign disclosed that its internal communications were breached by Iranian hackers, a claim Iran denied. Shortly after, the FBI confirmed that Iran was responsible for the hack. In collaboration with other intelligence agencies, the FBI warned that Iran was actively seeking to “stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions,” particularly during the election cycle.
The indictment detailed a years-long hacking effort that began in 2020, targeting US government officials, media, and individuals linked to political campaigns. The Department of Justice alleges that in May 2024, the three hackers began targeting “US Presidential campaign 1,” later identified as Trump’s. Using phishing tactics and fraudulent emails, they gained access to private communications and documents. By June, they attempted to leak the stolen information to media and individuals associated with a rival campaign.
When questioned, Attorney General Merrick Garland stated there was no indication that the Biden campaign, which was taken over by Vice-President Kamala Harris in July, had used the hacked materials. Both campaigns reportedly cooperated with the FBI’s investigation.
Morgan Finkelstein, a national security spokeswoman for the Harris campaign, said they were unaware of any direct material being sent to the campaign but noted that some individuals were targeted with phishing emails. The FBI’s investigation revealed that email accounts belonging to a former Trump campaign consultant and other campaign officials were compromised.
FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized that the charges are the result of a long-term investigation and sent a strong message to Iran, asserting that its hackers “can’t hide behind their keyboards.”