Iranian hackers distributed stolen information about Donald Trump’s election campaign to people connected to the Biden campaign, according to the FBI and US intelligence agencies.
US officials now believe that information taken from the Trump campaign was sent in unsolicited emails to people connected to the campaign in late June and early July – before Biden dropped out of the presidential race.
There is currently no evidence that the hackers received a response from any of the recipients.
In August, officials warned that Iran hoped to “stir up tension” and undermine confidence in American institutions ahead of the November election.
US officials said Iran used “social engineering and other efforts” to gain direct access to Democratic and Republican campaigns – a tactic they said was used by Iran and Russia in other countries around the world.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the FBI said “Iranian rogue actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public information related to former President Trump’s campaign to US media organizations”.
When contacted by the BBC, Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said the hack was proof that Iran “is interfering in the election to help Kamala Harris and Joe Biden because they know President Trump will roll back his tough sanctions and stand up to their reign of terror”. .
He said Biden and Harris should reveal what happened to the materials sent to Biden’s allies. “What did they know and when did they know?” Ms. Levitt asked.
Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign, said the campaign has been cooperating with authorities since being notified of the robbery.
“We don’t know anything about being sent directly to the campaign,” added Ms. Finkelstein. “Several people have had their emails targeted in what appears to be spam or a phishing attempt.”
Ms Finkelstein added that it condemned “in the strongest terms” any attempts to interfere in foreign elections.
The BBC has also contacted the White House for comment.
The FBI statement added that officials have been in contact with victims of the robbery and will continue to investigate in the hope of stopping and disrupting “threat players”.
The announcement comes amid renewed scrutiny of Trump’s security, days after a second assassination attempt was made on his Florida golf course.
Speaking to reporters earlier, Trump addressed the effort, saying “I have to live my life”.
“You don’t want to be reduced again because of the crazy people out there,” he added.
After Trump was wounded by a gunman during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, US officials said Iran’s threats against Trump’s life prompted additional security measures.
At a packed rally on New York’s Long Island on Wednesday – just a few miles from where he grew up in Queens – Trump said “God saved my life”.
“Not once, but twice,” he said to loud applause from the crowd. “There are those who say that he [God] he did it because Trump will transform this state. He will change this country.”
Supporters at the rally told the BBC they were furious after hearing of a possible second attempt after authorities said a gunman was found with a gun at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida as the former president played golf.
Another supporter of this meeting, Dina Glazer, said she blames the Democrats and their talk about Trump for these incidents.
The former president “needs more security, which they have never done”, he said.
Another supporter, Michelle Christ, said she feared Trump was “in constant danger”.
“Some people think their opinion is too important,” she said. “But you don’t do it with those thoughts” violently, he said.
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