A group of Iranian hackers pretended to be Ginni Thomas, the wife of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, to obtain sensitive information from individuals associated with former President Donald Trump, as per a report by CNN.
An indictment unveiled recently alleges that three Iranian men infiltrated the email account of a Trump campaign official this year, leading to the theft of vital debate-preparation materials and details on potential vice presidential candidates through a technique called “spear phishing.” The compromised accounts included those of Roger Stone, a seasoned Republican strategist who was pardoned by Trump.
The hackers also handed over some information to the media to stir unrest before the election. The initial portion of this leak was disclosed by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, resulting in his removal from X.
Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi are accused of identity theft and wire fraud, acting on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Although Ginni Thomas is not directly identified in the indictment, hackers employed her identity to create a fake email. The account was set up in April 2020 and used in phishing attempts from April to May 2024 targeting various high-profile figures.
Aside from being a Justice’s spouse, Thomas is a conservative activist notorious for sending texts to Trump’s chief of staff on Jan. 6, 2021, urging them to challenge the election results.
Attorney General Merrick Garland mentioned that the hackers’ goal was to undermine Trump’s 2024 campaign, highlighting the importance of safeguarding the democratic process from external influences.
The FBI noted that the hackers tried to reach out to a member of the Biden-Harris campaign, who did not engage.