US Claims Iranian Hackers Sent Stolen Trump Campaign Material to Biden’s Team

Iranian hackers allegedly sent emails containing stolen material from former President Donald Trump’s campaign to individuals involved in then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, according to U.S. agencies on Wednesday. This action is part of an alleged broader effort by Tehran to influence the U.S. electoral process.

The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence stated that Iranian cyber actors have been active since June, sending non-public materials linked to Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations as well.

“This malicious cyber activity exemplifies Iran’s multi-pronged approach to sow discord and undermine confidence in our electoral process,” the agencies noted, while indicating there is currently no evidence that recipients engaged in further correspondence. They did not disclose specific details about the stolen material.

In August, the U.S. accused Iran of conducting cyber operations against both presidential candidates and attempting to influence the American public to increase political discord. Iran, however, has denied any interference in U.S. affairs. On Wednesday, its permanent mission to the United Nations stated that the U.S. allegations are “fundamentally unfounded and wholly inadmissible,” asserting that Iran has no intent to interfere in the election.

The malicious emails were reportedly sent to individuals in Biden’s campaign in late June and early July, containing excerpts from the stolen Trump campaign material. Biden suspended his presidential campaign on July 21, and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee. Polls indicate a tight race between Trump and Harris.

In response, the Trump campaign called for Biden and Harris to disclose whether they used the hacked material against Trump. At a rally on Wednesday night, the former president accused Iran of hacking his campaign to aid Democrats, labeling it as foreign election interference.

A spokesperson for Harris’s campaign stated, “We’re not aware of any material being sent directly to the campaign,” and described the unsolicited emails as resembling spam or phishing attempts targeting a few individuals’ personal accounts.

Tehran has also claimed that the U.S. has historically interfered in its affairs, citing incidents from the 1953 coup of an Iranian prime minister to the 2020 killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.