In an effort to “sow discord and shape the outcome of U.S. elections”, Iranian cyber actors sent messages during the summer to people involved in President Biden’s then re-election campaign containing stolen material from former President Trump’s campaign, U.S. agencies said.
“Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Biden’s campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former President Trump’s campaign as text in the emails,” the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
The agencies noted that there is currently no information indicating if recipients replied to the messages.
The U.S. intelligence agencies also alleged that Iran has continued their election interference since June and has sent stolen Trump campaign material to U.S. media organizations.
IRAN TRYING TO SABOTAGE TRUMP’S PRESIDNETIAL CAMPAIGN: US INTELLIGENCE
U.S. intelligence officials believe Iran is meddling in the 2024 election. (Getty Images)
“Furthermore, Iranian malicious cyber actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public material associated with former President Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations,” they said.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei delivers remarks on Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran Nuclear Issue in 2015 between five permanent members of United Nations Security Council, Germany and Iran on February 17, 2021 in Tehran, Iran. (Iranian Leader Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The agencies said that the continued election interference from Iran is to “stoke discord and undermine confidence in our electoral process.”
“As the lead for threat response, the FBI has been tracking this activity, has been in contact with the victims, and will continue to investigate and gather information in order to pursue and disrupt the threat actors responsible,” they said. “Foreign actors are increasing their election influence activities as we approach November.”
WATCH:
At a campaign stop on Wednesday night in Uniondale, New York, former President Trump weighed in on the Iranian election interference, calling it “insanity.”
“Three agencies of the Kamala Harris and Joe Biden administration – the FBI, the office of the Director of National Intelligence and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency – they just released a report, confirm that Iran actors hacked into the Trump campaign’s email accounts and, in turn, sought to give the hacked material to the Biden-Harris campaign. They gave them all of the materials because Biden is working with Iran, and Iran doesn’t exactly like me because they were ready to make a deal.”
“But we cannot allow this insanity to continue anymore,” Trump said. “That’s why less than two months from now, we are going to tell Kamala that we’ve had enough. Kamala, you’ve been a terrible vice president. You will be an even worse president. We’re not going to take it anymore. You’re fired. Get out!”
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives for Russian-Iranian talks in Moscow, Russia December 7, 2023. (putnik/Sergei Bobylev/Pool via REUTERS)
Iran is not the only foreign adversary accused of meddling with the 2024 presidential election.
On July 10, ODNI officials called Russia the “preeminent threat” to the election.
“It’s all the tactics we’ve seen before, primarily through social media, efforts using influential U.S. voices to amplify their narratives and other tactics,” ODNI officials told reporters in July. “And as far as who they’re targeting, what we can say today is, Russia is sophisticated enough to know that, targeting swing state voters is, particularly valuable to them.”
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Officials previously highlighted that the intelligence community expects foreign adversaries to increase its underhanded activities as U.S. election day gets closer in order to manipulate public opinion, underscoring the threat to America’s political landscape.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
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