The Department of Justice unsealed criminal charges in a thwarted plot by Iran to kill Donald Trump.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan alleges that an unnamed official in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard spoke to a contact in September about plans to conduct surveillance on the former president and kill him before this week’s election, which he ultimately won, reported The Associated Press.
U.S. intelligence officials briefed Trump about the plot, which they said was unrelated to failed assassination attempts over the summer, and his campaign spokesman said the threats were “real and specific” and were intended to “destabilize and sow chaos.”
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“Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference,” said spokesman Steven Chueng in late September, after the formal briefing.