Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, was one of the notable political figures that Iranian hackers attempted to impersonate in their efforts to target individuals connected to former President Donald Trump.
According to an indictment unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, three individuals are accused of a multi-year hacking campaign targeting current and former U.S. officials and journalists, including a breach of the Trump campaign this summer, reported CNN.
The accused are members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps. They allegedly targeted the Nov. 5 election between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Iran dismissed the accusations as baseless. The Justice Department has also targeted Russian election interference, charging and sanctioning state media employees for funding pro-Trump influencers.
Also Read: US Charges Iranian Hackers For Interfering In 2024 Presidential Election
From June to August, the hackers gained access to a Trump campaign official’s personal email account, stealing “debate preparation” materials and information about potential vice presidential candidates.
According to the indictment and law enforcement officials, the hackers created a fake email account in Ginni Thomas’ name in April 2020, but they did not use it in their operations until four years later.
The charges against the Iranian hackers come amid heightened concerns over foreign interference in U.S. elections.
In August, Trump’s campaign confirmed a security breach, believed to be orchestrated by foreign entities hostile to the U.S. This breach included the theft of internal documents, which were later leaked to the media.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
