Criminal charges related to the Iranian cyberattack against the campaign of former President Donald Trump in late July are reportedly being prepared by the Justice Department as part of its efforts to combat mounting election meddling efforts by Iran, which had also targeted the Biden-Harris campaign, according to The Associated Press.
Details regarding the targets of the indictment, as well as the date of its possible announcement, were not provided but such a move comes as the Justice Department committed to bolster transparency about election-targeted foreign influence threats after being less open about Russian interference during the 2016 polls, as evidenced by recent charges against employees of Russian state-owned media firm RT who allegedly invested to spread disinformation across social media.
Transparency "provides warnings to our private sector so they can better protect their networks. And it sends an unmistakable message to our adversaries — we've gained insight into your networks, we know what you're doing, and we are determined to hold you accountable," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen.
