The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges against three members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday. They are accused of hacking Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and attempting to disrupt the upcoming election on November 5.
Sanctions Imposed
In conjunction with the charges, the U.S. Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on seven additional members of the IRGC. This action aligns with President Joe Biden’s efforts to secure the integrity of the upcoming election and combat foreign interference.
Nature of the Charges
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the three men were attempting to undermine Trump’s campaign. He noted, “We are seeing increasingly aggressive Iranian cyber activity during this election cycle.” The indictment outlines a wide-ranging hacking campaign that began in 2020, targeting U.S. officials, journalists, and campaign operatives to incite discord and erode trust in the democratic process. Charges include wire fraud, identity theft, and computer fraud. The three accused individuals are currently residing in Iran. However, Iran denied the allegations calling them “baseless”
Previous Hacking Incident
The Trump campaign reported in August that it had been hacked by Iran, although it claimed that the hackers did not obtain any private information. Several media outlets chose not to publish internal campaign documents that were reportedly offered to them.
Comparison to Previous Elections
This incident draws a sharp contrast with the 2016 election, during which hacked communications from Hillary Clinton’s campaign received extensive media coverage. The Iranian hacking group, identified as APT42 or Charming Kitten, is known for deploying surveillance software on mobile devices that can record calls, steal text messages, and activate cameras and microphones.
Broader Context of Cyber Threats
The Justice Department is also addressing Russian attempts to interfere in the election, including bringing criminal charges and sanctions against employees of the state media outlet RT for allegedly financing pro-Trump social media influencers in the U.S.
