US to charge Iranian hackers for Trump campaign breach

The Justice Department is preparing to announce criminal charges against Iranian hackers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These hackers executed a hack-and-leak operation targeting the Trump campaign, stealing internal documents and disseminating them to news organizations to create discord during the presidential election. The breach involved accessing the email account of Roger Stone, a close ally of Donald Trump, in June. This action is part of a broader U.S. initiative to counter foreign influence operations ahead of the 2024 elections. U.S. officials are taking proactive measures to expose covert activities that could sway voter opinions and undermine democracy. In a recent speech, Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department's national security chief, highlighted the ongoing threats posed by authoritarian regimes, including those from Russia, Iran, and China. He emphasized that these adversaries are actively working to manipulate the electorate for their own benefit. The anticipated charges against the Iranian hackers are expected to be unveiled soon, with some sources indicating that this could happen as early as next week. This move follows previous actions taken against Russian state media employees accused of funding a media company that promoted right-wing influencers in the U.S. The government aims to prevent a repeat of the slow response to Russian interference observed during the 2016 election. By addressing these threats now, U.S. officials hope to safeguard the integrity of the upcoming elections and ensure that foreign entities do not disrupt the democratic process. The situation underscores the importance of vigilance against external influences in the electoral landscape.