Media: Iranian hackers successfully release stolen Trump campaign emails

An Iranian hacking group that intercepted emails from Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign has successfully circulated their stolen material after initial attempts to engage mainstream media fell flat.

According to an exclusive report by Reuters, the hackers have begun disseminating Trump emails more widely, with one Democratic political operative posting a trove of communications on the website of his political action committee, American Muckrakers. Independent journalists have also started sharing these emails on platforms such as Substack. The material includes discussions among Trump campaign advisers and external allies concerning various topics leading up to the 2024 election.

The operations of this election interference effort provide a rare glimpse into Iran's determined meddling, despite a September US Justice Department indictment accusing the leakers of being affiliated with Tehran and operating under a fake persona. The indictment alleged that an Iranian hacking group known as Mint Sandstorm, or APT42, compromised multiple Trump campaign staffers by stealing their passwords between May and June. A Homeland Security advisory published earlier this month warned that the hackers continue to target campaign staff. If found guilty, the hackers could face prison time and fines.

The Department of Justice's indictment identified three Iranian hackers linked to Iran's Basij paramilitary force, which enforces the regime's strict rules and seeks to project influence. Despite attempts to reach the hackers named in the indictment, contact via email and text message was unsuccessful. In conversations with Reuters, the hackers, using the alias "Robert," sidestepped US allegations, with one stating, “Do you really expect me to answer?!”

Iran's mission to the United Nations has categorically denied involvement in hacking against US elections, calling the accusations "fundamentally unfounded, and wholly inadmissible." The FBI, currently investigating Iran's hacking activities targeting both presidential campaigns, declined to comment.

David Wheeler, founder of American Muckrakers, asserted that the documents shared were authentic and served the public interest. He stated, his “goal was to expose how desperate the Trump campaign is to try to win” and to provide factual information. However, the Trump campaign has condemned Iran's hacking operation as an attempt to “interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our democratic process,” asserting that any journalists reprinting the stolen documents “are doing the bidding of America’s enemies.”

The leak operation commenced around July when an anonymous email account began reaching out to reporters at various media outlets, initially promising damaging internal information about the Trump campaign. After failing to gain traction, the hackers employed a second email account in September to communicate with more news organizations. Despite the authenticity of some materials, major outlets such as the New York Times and the Washington Post refrained from publishing, citing concerns over the origins and newsworthiness of the leaked content.

American Muckrakers, active since 2021, began publishing internal Trump campaign emails on September 26. Wheeler stated he had new leaks planned and would continue releasing documents as long as they remained “authentic and relevant.”

Independent national security reporter Ken Klippenstein was one of the few to publish material from "Robert," posting vice presidential research documents to Substack. Following the publication, FBI agents warned him that he was engaging with a “foreign malign influence operation.” Klippenstein defended his decision, stating that the information was newsworthy and asserting the media should not act as a "gatekeeper of what the public should know."

As the situation unfolds, the implications of these leaked communications and Iran’s ongoing interference efforts are likely to reverberate throughout the electoral landscape.