DOJ readying charges over Iranian hack of Trump campaign
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The Justice Department is preparing criminal charges in connection with an Iranian hack that targeted former President Trump's 2024 campaign in a bid to shape the outcome of the November election, multiple outlets report.
Why it matters: They are the result of an FBI investigation into an intrusion that investigators across multiple agencies quickly linked to an Iranian effort to influence American politics.
Catch up quick: Microsoft released a report in early August warned that Iran-backed hackers had targeted a high-ranking official at an unidentified U.S. presidential campaign with a spear-phishing email in June.
- The Trump campaign then accused Iran-backed hackers of stealing sensitive documents. The FBI confirmed its probe shortly after.
- A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said at the time that the hacked documents were "obtained illegally from foreign sources hostile to the United States, intended to interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our Democratic process."
The big picture: The FBI investigation has revolved around an anonymous online account that shared stolen campaign documents with reporters, while falsely claiming the documents had been obtained while working with the Trump campaign, the Washington Post reported.
- At least three outlets — Politico, the New York Times and the Washington Post — were leaked materials from the Trump campaign, per AP.
- A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment Friday.
Go deeper: Trump campaign says it was hacked
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional background.
