Iranian hackers sent emails to the Democratic campaign in July containing material stolen from the team of their rival, former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump, the FBI reported Wednesday.
In its statement, the FBI emphasizes that the emails were unsolicited and that there is no information indicating that the Democratic campaign, then led by Joe Biden and now by Kamala Harris, responded to receiving these documents.
According to agents, hackers have continued their efforts since June to send stolen and private material related to the Trump campaign to U.S. media outlets.
The FBI stressed that it has been monitoring this activity, has been in contact with “the victims” and will continue to investigate and collect information to pursue and dismantle those responsible for these threats.
This “malign” activity, the memo said, is the latest example of Iran’s attempts to sow discord and undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral process, which will hold presidential elections on November 5.
“Foreign actors are increasing their election influence activities as we approach November, particularly Russia, Iran and China,” the FBI said. The agency warned that these attempts pose a direct threat to the United States “and will not be tolerated.”
The Trump campaign said in a statement that these events are “proof that the Iranians are actively interfering in the election to help Kamala Harris and Joe Biden” prevent the return to power of the Republican, who “will reinstate his harsh sanctions against” the Asian country.
Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt asked Democrats to “clarify whether they used the hacked material provided to them by the Iranians to harm” their rival.
Last August, US intelligence services had already reported that Iran had stepped up its attempts to interfere in the country’s presidential elections.
