By Steve Neavling
The Justice Department is reportedly preparing to file criminal charges in connection with an Iranian cyberattack that targeted Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in an attempt to influence the outcome of the upcoming November election, according to two individuals familiar with the situation, the Associated Press reports.
While the exact timing of the charges and the specific targets remain unclear, the case stems from an FBI investigation into a hacking incident that multiple agencies quickly traced back to an Iranian effort to interfere in U.S. politics.
This development comes amid growing concerns from the Justice Department about the aggressive attempts by foreign nations, including Russia and Iran, to meddle in the presidential race between Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. These efforts include hacking operations and covert social media campaigns designed to shape public opinion.
“Iran is making a greater effort to influence this year’s election than it has in prior election cycles, and that Iranian activity is growing increasingly aggressive as this election nears,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department’s top national security official, said Thursday during a speech in New York City.
“Iran perceives this year’s elections to be particularly consequential in impacting Iran’s national security interests, increasing Tehran’s inclination to try to shape the outcome,” Olsen added.
On Aug. 10, the Trump campaign disclosed that it had been the victim of a hack, attributing the breach to Iranian actors who allegedly stole and distributed sensitive internal documents. Confidential material from the campaign was leaked to at least three news outlets — Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. So far, none of the outlets have revealed specific details about the documents they received.
The FBI, along with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, attributed the hack — as well as an attempted breach of the Biden-Harris campaign — to Iranian operatives.
In a joint statement, the agencies indicated that the hacking and related activities were intended to sow discord, exploit divisions within American society, and influence the election outcome. However, the statement did not specify whether Iran had a preferred candidate, though Tehran has long sought retaliation for the 2020 U.S. strike ordered by Trump that killed an Iranian general.
