In August, officials warned that Iran was seeking to “sow discord” and undermine trust in U.S. institutions ahead of the November election.
U.S. officials said Iran sought to directly reach Democratic and Republican campaigns using “social engineering and other efforts,” a tactic Iran and Russia have used in other countries around the world, they said.
“Since June, malign actors in Iran have engaged in an ongoing effort to distribute stolen, unclassified material related to former President Trump’s presidential campaign to U.S. media organizations,” the FBI said in a statement Wednesday.
Responding to the BBC’s inquiry, Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said the hack was evidence that Iran was “interfering in the election to help Kamala Harris and Joe Biden because they knew that President Trump would reinstate strong sanctions and stand up to the terrorist regime.”
She said Biden and Harris should explain what happened to the material they sent to Biden associates. “What did they know and when did they know it?” Ms. Leavitt asked.
The BBC has also reached out to the White House and Harris campaign for comment.
The FBI statement added that officials are contacting victims of the hack and will continue to investigate in an effort to disrupt and disrupt the “responsible threat actors.”
