(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In a shocking revelation, the Justice Department has unveiled an indictment against three Iranian hackers linked to a sinister plot to derail former President Trump’s re-election campaign.
This brazen attempt by foreign actors to meddle in our democratic process exposes the ongoing threat to our nation’s sovereignty and the urgent need to safeguard our elections from hostile powers.
The accused, Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi, all members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), face 18 counts, including wire fraud, identity theft, and material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Their nefarious scheme involved hacking into Trump’s campaign, stealing sensitive information, and attempting to funnel it to the Biden-Harris campaign.
FBI Director Christopher Wray didn’t mince words when addressing this threat to our democracy.
“Today the FBI would like to send a message to the government of Iran – you and your hackers can’t hide behind your keyboards,” Wray stated, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
The Iranian hackers employed deceptive tactics, including impersonating a Supreme Court justice’s wife and creating a fake Middle Eastern NGO. Their ultimate goal? To undermine Trump’s campaign through a “hack and leak” strategy, attempting to distribute stolen campaign materials to individuals linked to Joe Biden’s re-election effort.
“The Justice Department is working relentlessly to uncover and counter Iran’s cyberattacks aimed at stoking discord, undermining confidence in our democratic institutions, and influencing our elections,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The American people – not Iran, or any other foreign power – will decide the outcome of our country’s elections.”
While Garland claims there’s no indication the Biden campaign used the hacked materials, the very attempt to influence our election process is a grave concern. The operation targeted a wide range of individuals, including Trump campaign officials, a former ambassador to Israel, a former CIA deputy director, and journalists.
This cyber assault on our democracy began as early as January 2020, following President Trump’s decisive action in ordering a fatal airstrike on IRGC Commander Qassem Soleimani. It’s clear that Iran opposes Trump’s reelection due to his administration’s strong stance against their regime.
“The defendants’ own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former President Trump’s campaign in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. We know that Iran is continuing with its brazen efforts to stoke discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process and advance its malign activities,” Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, highlighting the ongoing threat.
In response to this attack on our democratic process, the Department of State has issued a reward of up to $10 million for information on the indicted individuals and the IRGC’s interference in U.S. elections. The Treasury Department has also imposed sanctions, demonstrating a multi-pronged approach to combat this threat.
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