Three U.S. federal agencies, including the FBI, stated on Wednesday that “Iranian malicious cyber actors” sought to interfere in the presidential election by emailing “an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material” from the campaign of former President Donald Trump to the then-campaign of U.S. President Joe Biden.
“There is currently no information indicating those recipients replied,” the three agencies stated. “Furthermore, Iranian malicious cyber actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public material associated with former President Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations.”
“This malicious cyber activity is the latest example of Iran’s multi-pronged approach,” the agencies said, “to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our electoral process.”
The agencies noted that foreign states, including Russia, Iran and China, are stepping up their efforts to “exacerbate divisions in U.S. society for their own benefit and see election periods as moments of vulnerability.”
“Efforts by these, or other foreign actors, to undermine our democratic institutions are a direct threat to the U.S. and will not be tolerated,” the trio said.
Morgan Finkelstein, a spokeswoman for the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, told CBS News that “we’re not aware of any material being sent directly to the campaign,” but “a few individuals were targeted on their personal emails with what looked like a spam or phishing attempt.”
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, told CBS that “this is further proof the Iranians are actively interfering in the election to help Kamala Harris and Joe Biden because they know President Trump will restore his tough sanctions and stand against their reign of terror.” Trump wrote on his social-media account that Harris “and her campaign were illegally spying on me.”
A spokesperson for Iran’s mission to the United Nations told CBS that the allegations are “fundamentally unfounded and wholly inadmissible.”
“Having already unequivocally and repeatedly announced, Iran neither has any motive nor intent to interfere in the U.S. election and it therefore categorically repudiates such accusations,” the spokesperson said. “Should the U.S. government genuinely seek the truth, it is incumbent upon them to formally and transparently provide their substantiated evidence, so as to receive a corresponding and precise response.”
“Iran hacked President Trump’s campaign and leaked the data to Democrats. Vladimir Putin endorsed Kamala Harris, and China groomed Tim Walz,” Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) wrote. “Our enemies are making their choice loud and clear.”
