President-elect Donald Trump’s FBI director nominee, Kash Patel, was the target of an Iranian hacking effort.
Several sources reported that the FBI notified Patel and Trump’s team of the cyberattack. The Trump transition team didn’t directly confirm or address the incident.
“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,” Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said in a statement.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Trump’s team for further comment.
Trump’s assassination of the popular Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps leader Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 enraged Tehran, leading to many asymmetric attacks against the president-elect and his team over the years. The Iranian government has openly threatened to assassinate him in retaliation for the killing.
In August, Trump’s campaign fell victim to foreign hackers, with intelligence agencies saying Iranian hackers gained access to the campaign’s internal communications. It is unclear whether anyone else other than Patel was targeted in the latest hacking operation.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Patel was nominated for FBI director over the weekend, immediately sparking controversy. Trump hailed his work in various positions during the first administration.
“Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American people,” the president-elect said. “Kash did an incredible job during my First Term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council.”
