The U.S. Department of Justice has announced criminal charges against three members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, accusing them of hacking Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and attempting to interfere with the upcoming election on November 5. This action aligns with the Biden administration’s commitment to counter foreign interference in the election between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Unsealed on Friday, the indictment names three Iranian nationals: Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi. They are alleged to have used fraudulent email accounts to deceive campaign officials into revealing sensitive information, which was subsequently leaked to various media outlets as well as the Biden campaign. The charges include wire fraud, identity theft, and computer fraud.
In response to these accusations, Iran has denied targeting former U.S. officials, calling the claims baseless. However, during a press conference on Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland noted an increase in aggressive cyber activities from Iran during this election cycle. “We are witnessing more assertive Iranian cyber operations,” he stated.
Additionally, the Treasury Department has enacted sanctions against the three individuals and other members of the Revolutionary Guards Corps. This is not the first instance of Iranian interference in U.S. elections; the hacking group APT42, also known as Charming Kitten, has gained notoriety for its sophisticated surveillance software capable of recording calls and accessing private messages.
In August, Trump’s campaign reported being hacked by Iranian operatives, although they stated that no private information was compromised. Nevertheless, some media outlets chose not to publish internal documents that were offered to them. The indictment also mentions that Biden campaign officials were approached regarding Trump’s debate preparation materials shortly before their debate on June 27, but they did not respond.
In a separate but related incident, a Pakistani individual with alleged ties to Iran recently pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges linked to a plot to assassinate a U.S. politician, with Trump named as a potential target. However, there is no evidence connecting him to the recent threats against Trump’s life.
The Justice Department is also addressing Russian attempts to interfere in the election, having filed charges and imposed sanctions on employees of the state media outlet RT for allegedly funding pro-Trump social media influencers in the U.S.
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