 "Kash Patel, former chief of staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, speaks at a rally in Minden, Nev., Friday, Oct. 8, 2022. File Image / AP")
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently told Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the bureau’s next director, that he was the target of an Iranian cyberattack. Two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News about the looming Iranian threat. While the exact timing of the cyberattack remains unclear, the FBI noted that it occurred before Trump picked him for the top job.
As per the report, the hackers were believed to have targeted some of Patel’s communications. However, it has not been revealed whether they have actually accessed the communications and, if so, how much data was viewed or stolen, the sources said. Meanwhile, the FBI refused to comment on the matter, and the investigation is still ongoing.
It is pertinent to note that the current FBI Director, Christopher Wray, whose 10-year term doesn’t expire until 2027, would have to resign or be fired for Patel to take over. Not only this, Patel would also require confirmation of the Senate.
Trump’s team hit back
Without specifically acknowledging the alleged cyberattack, Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer issued a stern statement over the matter. “Kash Patel was a key part of the first Trump administration’s efforts against the terrorist Iranian regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as the FBI Director,” Pfeiffer wrote in the statement.
In September this year, three Iranian operatives were charged with hacking Trump’s presidential campaign as part of what the Justice Department said at the time was an effort to undermine the US elections.
The three Iranians were accused of being employed by Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and were allegedly stealing emails and documents and sharing them with media outlets. At that time, law enforcement officials confirmed that Iranian hackers had, unsolicited, sent information they stole from the Trump campaign to people who were affiliated with President Joe Biden’s campaign over the summer. However, the officials maintained that there is no evidence that any of the recipients responded to the information.
With inputs from agencies.