The U.S. Department of Justice recently unveiled criminal charges against three hackers associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). These individuals are accused of conducting a four-year cyberattack, which included the 2024 hack of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
On Friday, prosecutors filed an indictment against Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar (Yaser) Balaghi. The charges detail their involvement in hacking and leaking sensitive data, targeting Trump’s campaign, former White House officials, members of Congress, and other key political figures.
The indictment reveals that this hacking effort was, in part, retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020. Soleimani’s death, ordered by the Trump administration, triggered Iranian officials to vow revenge. A wider effort by Iran has since led to charges against at least one person in connection with an assassination plot targeting John Bolton, former National Security Advisor.
According to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Iranian hackers sought to influence the 2024 presidential election by undermining Trump’s campaign. Garland stated that Iran’s efforts aimed to “erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process” and destabilize the democratic system.
“These regimes, which violate their citizens’ rights, have no role in our democratic process,” Garland emphasized, asserting that the American people alone will determine election outcomes.
The hackers used phishing attacks to breach the online accounts of senior U.S. government officials, stealing campaign materials intended for media leaks. In August, Politico, The New York Times, and other outlets were contacted by an individual claiming to have acquired documents from Trump’s campaign. The hack-and-leak operation drew comparisons to Russia’s 2016 actions targeting the Democratic National Committee. However, this time, the media chose not to report on the leaked files’ contents.
NBC News journalist Kevin Collier noted that, despite receiving the hacked materials, most reporters found little of significance in them. He stated, “No reporter who’s seen them has found newsworthy content.”
The FBI, alongside intelligence and cybersecurity agencies, confirmed in a joint statement that Iranian-backed hackers were responsible for the operation, with the intention of influencing U.S. elections. This tactic has been used in past elections by both Iran and Russia.
Microsoft and Google also accused Iran of targeting individuals connected to both Trump and Biden’s campaigns, highlighting the continued threat of foreign interference.
Although the media has largely refrained from publishing these stolen documents, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein recently released a 271-page dossier related to J.D. Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee. He criticized media outlets for withholding information due to government pressure but believed the material was of public interest.
Source: Techcrunch
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