The Department of Justice is preparing criminal charges related to the Iranian regime's hacking of former President Donald Trump's campaign, according to multiple reports.
Justice Department officials believe they have gathered enough evidence to bring charges against the suspects or hackers who stole information contained in the email account of a Trump campaign adviser and provided it to news organizations in July. The Washington Post and Associated Press It was reported on Thursday.
It is unclear what the exact charges are, who will be charged or when they might be filed.
The FBI's cybercrime investigation focused on a person calling himself “Robert” online.
“Robert” is believed to have ties to Iran and is believed to have provided Trump campaign materials to reporters from The Washington Post and Politico in an attempt to interfere in the 2024 presidential election.
Tehran's targets also reportedly included President Trump's lawyer Lindsey Harrigan and senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles.
Last month, the Trump campaign acknowledged the hack and blamed Iran after Politico reported that it had received a dossier about Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) that the campaign reportedly compiled months before he was named Trump's running mate.
The media outlet did not provide details about what it received, but said the documents were provided through an AOL email account belonging to “Robert.”
Officials from the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency acknowledged last month that Iran was behind the hack and also attempted to break into Biden campaign email accounts.
Microsoft and Google had previously disclosed that Iran had infiltrated the campaign.
Hackers operating on behalf of foreign governments are typically based in countries where they cannot be extradited to the United States and therefore are unlikely to be brought to justice.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, who heads the Justice Department's National Security Division, said on Thursday that Iran “has undertaken greater efforts to influence this year's election than in past election cycles, and Iran's activities have become increasingly aggressive as the election approaches.”
“Iran perceives this year's elections as having particularly significant implications for Iran's national security interests, and there is an increasing tendency for Tehran to try to influence their outcome,” he said in a speech in New York City, according to the Associated Press.
The Washington Post has reached out to the Justice Department and the Trump campaign for comment.
