WASHINGTON — Iranian hackers targeted President Joe Biden’s campaign with unsolicited emails containing stolen information from rival Donald Trump’s campaign, according to recent disclosures from federal agencies. This attempt to interfere in the upcoming 2024 election raises concerns about cybersecurity and election integrity.
Officials confirmed that there was no response from the recipients of the emails, which were characterized as spam or phishing attempts by some individuals. The Biden-Harris campaign condemned the Iranian emails as “unwelcome and unacceptable malicious activity.”
This revelation marks the latest effort by U.S. authorities to underscore Iran’s ongoing attempts to disrupt the electoral process. Recently, the FBI linked a hack-and-leak operation to Tehran, highlighting a pattern of foreign interference in U.S. elections.
U.S. officials have recently employed criminal charges, sanctions, and public advisories to counter foreign influence, including a recent indictment addressing a covert Russian initiative aimed at disseminating pro-Russia content within U.S. borders.
This approach stands in stark contrast to the government’s response in 2016, when prior administrations faced criticism for their lack of transparency regarding foreign interference during the electoral campaign.
The Iranian hackers reportedly sent their emails in late June and early July, targeting individuals associated with Biden’s campaign. The FBI confirmed that these emails included excerpts from stolen, non-public materials from Trump’s campaign.
Federal agencies have stressed that these cyber intrusions are part of a broader strategy to undermine voter confidence and incite division among the electorate.
Within the last 48 hours, the FBI alerted aides to Trump that information hacked by Iranian actors had been directed towards the Biden campaign, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
On August 10, the Trump campaign acknowledged a security breach, with reports that Iranian entities had stolen and disseminated sensitive internal documents. Various news outlets have confirmed receiving confidential material from within the Trump campaign but have declined to provide specifics.
The breach appeared to have begun on July 22, involving an anonymous AOL account that sent a research dossier on Republican vice presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, among other materials.
In response to the situation, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign stated that they have been cooperating with law enforcement since the incidents came to light. They expressed condemnation of any foreign attempts to interfere in U.S. elections, labeling the actions as unacceptable.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign voiced that these efforts demonstrate active Iranian interference in the election, intended to assist the Biden campaign.
Intelligence officials have indicated that Iran aims to obstruct Trump’s reelection, viewing him as a catalyst for heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. The previous administration’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal and subsequent military actions have exacerbated these hostilities.
The ongoing Iranian cyber activities were discussed as part of a broader examination of cybersecurity vulnerabilities at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, where executives from major tech companies outlined their strategies to safeguard upcoming elections against foreign interference.
“The most critical time frame will likely be the 48 hours leading up to the election,” warned a tech leader during the hearing focused on bolstering defenses against disinformation and cyber threats.
