US Government Files Criminal Charges Against Iranian Hackers in Alleged Interference with Trump’s 2024 Campaign

The U.S. Justice Department has filed criminal charges against three members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, accusing them of hacking Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The charges come as President Joe Biden’s administration intensifies efforts to protect the 2024 election between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The unsealed indictment alleges that Iranian nationals Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi engaged in a sophisticated phishing campaign, using fake emails to deceive Trump campaign officials into sharing sensitive information. The stolen data was reportedly leaked to media outlets and the Biden campaign, though the Biden team did not respond to offers to receive Trump’s debate preparation materials ahead of their June 27 debate.

Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking at a press conference on Friday, emphasized the growing threat posed by Iranian cyberattacks. “We are seeing increasingly aggressive Iranian cyber activity during this election cycle,” Garland said. In response, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the three Iranians and other members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps involved in cyber operations.

The Iranian government has denied the accusations, calling them “baseless” and asserting they have not targeted U.S. officials. However, this isn’t the first time Iran has faced allegations of election meddling. The hacking group linked to Iran, APT42, also known as Charming Kitten, is notorious for using advanced surveillance software to spy on targets.

While Trump’s campaign confirmed it was hacked in August, they claim that no private information was compromised. Multiple media outlets reportedly refused to publish internal campaign documents that were offered to them by the hackers.

This latest development comes amid broader concerns about foreign interference in U.S. elections. In addition to the Iranian charges, the Justice Department has taken action against Russian efforts to influence the election. Criminal charges and sanctions have been brought against employees of Russia’s state media outlet RT, who are accused of funding pro-Trump social media influencers.

Earlier this month, a Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran pleaded not guilty to charges related to a plot to assassinate a U.S. politician, reportedly in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. While the suspect mentioned Trump as a potential target, there is no evidence linking him to the recent cyberattacks or assassination attempts.