BleepingComputer reports that Iranian hackers Masoud Jalili, Yaser Balaghi, and Seyyed Ali Aghamiri have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for their involvement in the hack-and-leak attack against the campaign of former President Donald Trump in June, which was claimed to be part of Iran's sweeping influence operations against the upcoming presidential election.
Moreover, bounties of up to $10 million have also been introduced by the U.S. State Department for any information about the hackers — who were noted by a joint federal statement to have shared stolen Trump campaign materials with individuals previously linked to the campaign of President Joe Biden — while additional sanctions have been imposed by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control against Jalili for his role in election interference activity. "This indictment alleges a serious and sustained effort by a state-sponsored terrorist organization to gather intelligence through hacking personal accounts so they can use the hacked materials to harm Americans and corruptly influence our election," said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves.
