On October 13, 2024, Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, the United States. On that day, Kash Patel, former chief of staff to the Secretary of Defense, delivered a speech.
Tsuyoshi Nakamura | Reuters
The FBI recently told President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the next director, Kash Patel, that he was the target of an Iranian cyberattack, two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News.
Officials said the exact timing of the cyber attack was unclear, but it occurred before Trump appointed Patel as the next FBI director.
Hackers are believed to have compromised some of Patel’s communications. It’s unclear whether they actually accessed those communications and, if so, how much data was viewed or stolen, the sources said.
The FBI declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
Current FBI Director Christopher Wray’s 10-year term does not expire until 2027, and Patel would have to resign or be fired to take over the position, which requires Senate confirmation.
Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said in a statement, without specifically acknowledging the alleged cyber attack, “Kash Patel was the first person in the Trump administration to fight Iran. A key figure in a terrorist regime, he will serve as FBI director to implement President Trump’s policies and protect the United States from its adversaries.
Three Iranian agents were charged in September The Justice Department said at the time that hackers targeted Trump’s presidential campaign as part of an effort to undermine the U.S. election.
The three suspects are said to be employed by Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and are accused of stealing emails and documents and sharing them with the media.
The FBI and other law enforcement and intelligence agencies also confirmed at the time that Iranian hackers actively sent information they stole from the Trump campaign to people associated with Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. Officials said there was no evidence that any recipients responded
