Explained: Allegations of Iran, Harris 'spying' on Donald Trump's campaign
Former United States President Donald Trump has accused his political rival, Kamala Harris, and her campaign of "illegally spying" on him. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had uncovered evidence of Iran spying on his campaign and sharing this information with the Harris campaign. This claim follows recent reports by the FBI suggesting Iranian hackers attempted to provide Democrats with material "stolen" from Trump's campaign.
Iranian hackers accused of spying on Trump campaign
The FBI has accused "hackers" linked to Iran of breaching the Trump campaign and attempting to disseminate internal communications they had obtained. According to a joint statement by the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, these Iranian malicious actors have reportedly been active since June. They are said to have distributed stolen confidential material related to Trump's campaign to US media outlets.
Media outlets and Biden associates receive stolen information
Several media organizations, including Politico, reported receiving "stolen" information last month but chose not to publish it. Intelligence officials disclosed that a few people connected to President Joe Biden's reelection effort also received unsolicited emails in late June and early July containing an excerpt "taken from stolen, non-public material" from the Trump campaign. However, initial reports suggest that Biden's staff may not have even opened these emails due to their resemblance to phishing attempts.
Harris campaign responds to allegations of spying
Morgan Finkelstein, a Spokeswoman for Democrat Kamala Harris's campaign, stated that the material was not sent directly to the campaign but rather to just a few people associated with it. She added that the emails appeared like a phishing attempt or spam. "We condemn in the strongest terms any effort by foreign actors to interfere in US elections including this unwelcome and unacceptable malicious activity," Finkelstein said.
Iran denies accusations of election interference
Separately, Iran has categorically denied the accusations of election interference. Its ambassador to the United Nations dismissed these allegations as "entirely baseless, lacking any credibility and legitimacy" and "in no way acceptable." UN envoy Ali Bahreini stated that Tehran "has no motivation or intention to interfere in US elections" and urged the US to present its evidence so Iran could respond fully.
