Former President Donald Trump’s campaign confirmed that internal documents and communications had been hacked by foreign sources hostile to the United States, with the intention of interfering with the 2024 election. The campaign suggested that Iran may be responsible for the hack, based on a recent report from Microsoft about Iran’s digital election-meddling activity. It was also revealed that an Iranian hacking group connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a high-ranking official from an unnamed presidential campaign with a spear phishing email in June.
Microsoft also stated that the same Iranian group attempted to access the account of a former presidential candidate, and that they have since notified those targeted. The campaign’s claim of a foreign intrusion was reported by POLITICO, which received emails from an anonymous source containing what appeared to be internal communications and a research dossier on Republican Senator JD Vance, Trump’s selection for Vice Presidential nominee.
While POLITICO could not independently verify the identity of the hacker or their motivation, two people familiar with the documents confirmed their authenticity. The campaign urged media outlets not to reproduce the hacked documents, as this would be playing into the hands of America’s enemies. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which has issued warnings about Iran’s election-meddling efforts, did not comment on the specific hack.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com