DOJ Indicts Three Iranians in Trump Campaign Hack

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • The US Department of Justice has charged three Iranian nationals in connection with the alleged 'hack-and-leak' operation targeting Donald Trump's presidential campaign. They are charged with 18 counts, including wire fraud and identity theft.[1][2]
  • Federal prosecutors didn't name Trump in the 37-page indictment unsealed on Friday — instead describing his campaign as 'US Presidential Campaign 1' — but details suggest that the charges are related to the hack of Trump's campaign.[1][3][4]
  • According to the indictment, Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yaser Balaghi impersonated prominent public figures to send spearphishing emails to their targets.[5][6]
  • Those targeted reportedly include former Special Iran Representative Brian Hook, US Institute of Peace scholar Robin Wright, and former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.[6][7]
  • Last month, Politico reported that it had received a series of internal Trump files, including a dossier on his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). US authorities claim that hackers transmitted the material to Democrats and other media outlets.[4][8]
  • The Iranians will be tried in absentia for a multi-year hacking campaign against US officials, allegedly on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The trio are still at large, and the Department of State is offering up to $10M for information on their whereabouts.[1][9][5][10]

Sources: [1]United States Department of Justice, [2]BBC News, [3]USA Today, [4]Wsj, [5]National Review, [6]CNN, [7]New York Post, [8]Reuters, [9]New York Times and [10]FBI.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Washington Post. US adversaries see election interference as a low-cost, potentially high-reward method to launch attacks against undesirable candidates, or create division and distrust. Indictments against those involved in such malicious attacks are just the first step. Western democracies must band together to defend their free and democratic societies.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Irna. This is just another smear against Iran, which has no interest whatsoever in meddling in US internal affairs, let alone its presidential election. Though Donald Trump is indeed a criminal, Tehran is committed to bringing him to justice through legal means for ordering the assassination of Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

Predictions