FBI Probing Alleged Iran Hack Attempts Targeting Trump, Biden Camps

Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during a debate, Oct. 7, 2020, in Salt Lake City, left, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a debate, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. Trump said Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, that he’s pulling out of a scheduled debate with his likely Democratic opponent, Vice President Harris, and instead has agreed to a date earlier in September on Fox News Channel, furthering the uncertainty that the two will face each other on stage ahead of the November election. (AP Photo)

By Devlin Barrett, Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, Isaac Arnsdorf and Shane Harris

The FBI is investigating suspected hacking attempts by Iran targeting both a Trump associate and advisers to the Biden-Harris campaign, according to people familiar with the matter, as the agency formally acknowledged Monday it has opened a high-stakes national security investigation months before Election Day.

Three staffers on the Biden-Harris campaign received spear phishing emails that were designed to appear legitimate but could give an intruder access to the recipients’ communications, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive investigation. So far, investigators have not found evidence that those hacking attempts were successful, these people said.

The FBI began the investigation in June, suspecting Iran was behind the attempts to steal data from two U.S. presidential campaigns. Agents contacted Google, among other companies, to discuss what appeared to be a phishing effort targeting people associated with the Biden campaign, these people said.

“We can confirm the FBI is investigating this matter,” the FBI said in a brief statement. On Saturday, the agency said only that it was aware of media reports of an alleged hack. The Trump campaign said it had been hacked after reporters received copies of an internal campaign vetting document on Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Donald Trump’s running mate.

An official with the Harris campaign said it “vigilantly monitors and protects against cyberthreats, and we are not aware of any security breaches of our systems.” The attempted intrusion took place before President Joe Biden announced that he would not stand for reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic nominee.Washington Po

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