August 11, 2024 Former President Donald Trump’s campaign acknowledged on Saturday that some of its internal communications had been hacked, following reports that POLITICO had received emails from an anonymous source containing documents from inside Trump’s operation. The campaign attributed the breach to “foreign sources hostile to the United States,” suggesting that Iranian hackers might be responsible.
The revelation comes after Microsoft reported that Iranian hackers sent a spear-phishing email in June to a high-ranking official on a U.S. presidential campaign. While Microsoft did not specify which campaign was targeted, the timing aligns with Trump’s selection of a vice-presidential nominee, according to Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung. He emphasized that the documents were obtained illegally and were intended to interfere with the 2024 election.
The hacker, identifying only as “Robert” and using an AOL email account, began sending POLITICO internal communications from the Trump campaign on July 22. Among the leaked documents was a 271-page research dossier on Ohio Sen. JD Vance, a finalist for Trump’s running mate. The dossier included public information and identified potential vulnerabilities, such as Vance’s past criticisms of Trump. The hacker also sent part of a research document on Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, another vice-presidential contender.
The scope of the breach is still unclear, but it represents a significant security concern for Trump’s campaign. This breach recalls the 2016 hacking of top Democratic Party officials, which led to the release of damaging emails just before the presidential election, an effort later attributed to Russia.
Trump and his campaign has been hacked twice before by the same attacker who was able to guess his password which was MAGA2020 in the 2020 election after the same hacker used “You’re Fired” in the 2016 campaign to get into Trump’s accounts.
Trump campaign officials have not disclosed whether they are in contact with law enforcement or Microsoft regarding the breach. The Iranian government has not yet commented on the allegations. The incident underscores the ongoing risks of cyberattacks on political campaigns, particularly those involving foreign adversaries.
