Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead FBI, targeted in Iranian hack: Report

Several members of Trump's team have been targeted in the recent past by the hackers, including Todd Blanche who has been Trump’s lead advocate and now his pick to be the deputy attorney general.

Some of the communications of Kash Patel had been accessed by the Iranian hackers, the report has suggested. (AP)

President-elect Donald Trump’s Indian-American pick Kash Patel to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was informed by the bureau recently that he had been targeted as part of an Iranian hack, CNN reported quoting sources.

Some of the communications of Patel had been accessed by the Iranian hackers, the report has suggested. Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer, when asked about the Iranian hack of Kash Patel, declined to comment on it specifically.

“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,” spokesperson Pfeiffer added.

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Several members of Trump’s team have been targeted in the recent past by the hackers, including Todd Blanche who has been Trump’s lead advocate and now his pick to be the deputy attorney general in his second administration.

Blanche was reportedly informed by the FBI that his cellphone was targeted by Chinese hackers last month. However, the Chinese administration had denied the allegations by US agencies of any hack.

Also Read | US charges 3 Iranian operatives in Trump campaign hack

In August this year, another Trump’s attorney Lindsey Halligan was targeted by Iranian hackers. Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. was informed by the FBI that he was also “one of the top targets” of Iran, reported CNN.

The Iranian government has maintained its position to deny any sort of meddling with the US presidential election which was held in November. But reports suggest that Iranian hackers were active and targeted campaign members of both Trump’s election team and Democratic party as well.

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