U.S. intelligence officials confirmed that Iranian hackers successfully stole sensitive, non-public information from Donald Trump’s campaign and sent it to individuals associated with Joe Biden’s team earlier this summer.
The emails, sent in June and July, included materials lifted from the Trump campaign. However, there is no evidence that the Biden campaign used or even responded to the emails, which authorities said resembled phishing attempts.
Federal officials claim Iranian hackers sent stolen information from Trump’s campaign to political operatives associated with Biden's campaign. Investigators say they have "no information" the recipients replied to the emails. @PierreTABC reports. https://t.co/7Cuxr1uTzK pic.twitter.com/cT1Lh7L9mf
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) September 20, 2024
According to the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, this hack is part of Iran’s ongoing efforts to meddle in the 2024 U.S. election, aimed at disrupting the Trump campaign. Since the hacking attempts were first revealed in August, Iran has continued to leak Trump campaign data to various media outlets, hoping to amplify its influence.
Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign, stressed that they had fully cooperated with law enforcement once aware of the situation. The campaign condemned any foreign interference in the election, dismissing the emails as spam-like.
What Did They Know And When Did They Know It: Karine Jean-Pierre declines to address reports that Iranian hackers sent several Biden – Kamala campaign staffers materials stolen from the Trump campaign. This is REAL election interference. An enemy of our Country is aiding the… pic.twitter.com/Q3tHe8qELc
— John Cremeans USA (@JohnCremeansUSA) September 19, 2024
Meanwhile, Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign representative, pointed to the incident as evidence that Iran was actively working to aid the Biden-Harris campaign, accusing them of benefiting from the hack. She demanded answers from the Biden camp about whether they had used the stolen information to harm Trump politically.
Donald Trump himself referenced the hacking during a New York rally, accusing Iran of foreign interference but downplaying the significance of any stolen materials. “I don’t know what the hell they found. Couldn’t have been too exciting,” Trump remarked, showing his characteristic defiance.
Federal agencies are continuing to investigate the breach, although the precise nature of the stolen documents remains unclear. This latest revelation underscores the broader threat of foreign election interference, with Iran, Russia, and China having previously been flagged for similar activities.
This breach comes at a particularly critical moment as the 2024 election intensifies, with cybersecurity concerns remaining at the forefront of U.S. intelligence priorities.
