The FBI has confirmed it is investigating an alleged cyberattack on the Trump campaign, reportedly orchestrated by Iranian-backed hackers. This revelation comes amid growing concerns over foreign interference in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, with both Republican and Democratic campaigns reportedly being targeted.
The Trump campaign has accused the hackers of gaining unauthorized access to sensitive documents, with the intent of disrupting the upcoming election. "These documents were obtained illegally from foreign sources hostile to the United States, intended to interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our Democratic process," said Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign's communications director, in an email to Axios.
The FBI's confirmation of the investigation, however, was brief, with the agency stating only, "We can confirm the FBI is investigating this matter," and offering no further details. The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, reported that the FBI is also examining spear-phishing attempts targeting the Biden-Harris campaign, although the FBI has not commented publicly on this aspect of the investigation.
The cybersecurity firm Microsoft had previously reported that in June, Iranian-backed hackers targeted a high-ranking official in an unnamed U.S. presidential campaign through a spear-phishing attack. The incident highlights the persistent cyber threats that have plagued recent U.S. election cycles, with foreign actors increasingly using digital means to influence political outcomes.
According to multiple sources familiar with the situation, the hackers were able to breach the personal email account of Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative and close associate of Donald Trump. This access allegedly allowed them to attempt further intrusions into the Trump campaign's networks. Stone was reportedly informed by both the FBI and Microsoft that his email account had been compromised by a "Foreign State Actor" intent on phishing other officials within the Trump campaign.
The Trump campaign has remained largely silent on the specifics of whose accounts were breached, but the incident has sparked a flurry of activity within the campaign, the FBI, and Microsoft to contain the threat and assess the broader implications.
Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris campaign has also been briefed by the FBI about potential Iranian cyber threats targeting their operations. A Harris campaign official told CNN, "Our campaign vigilantly monitors and protects against cyber threats, and we are not aware of any security breaches of our systems."
The investigation into the hacking attempts has reportedly reached the Senate Intelligence Committee, with U.S. intelligence officials providing briefings on the matter. While the U.S. government has not officially accused Iran of being behind the attacks, the methods used by the hackers bear similarities to those previously attributed to Iranian operatives.
This incident adds to the mounting evidence that Iran is actively seeking to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election, possibly even surpassing Russian efforts in terms of scope and intensity. U.S. intelligence agencies have already warned of ongoing covert campaigns by Iran designed to undermine Donald Trump's candidacy and exacerbate social discord in the United States. These activities reportedly include the creation of fake news sites aimed at both liberal and conservative audiences.
Additionally, Avril Haines, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, has accused Iran of covertly fueling protests in the U.S. related to the Israel-Hamas conflict by posing as activists online and even providing financial support to demonstrators.
