US blames Iran for fake emails threatening Democrat voters
US officials have accused Iran of being behind a flurry of threatening but fake emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states in a late push to sway public opinion and interfere in the presidential election.
Purportedly from far-right, pro-Trump groups like the Proud Boys, the fake emails were apparently aimed at intimidating voters.
John Ratcliffe, the government's national intelligence director, said the aim was to hurt President Donald Trump in the contest against Democrat Joe Biden but did not elaborate on how.
One possibility is the messages may have been intended to align Mr Trump in the minds of voters with the Proud Boys after he was criticised for failing to unequivocally denounce the group during the first presidential debate.
The threatening emails officials did not layout specific evidence for how they came to pinpoint Iran but the activities attributed to Tehran would mark a significant escalation in its online espionage.
The announcement was made at a hastily called news conference 13 days before the election.
The allegations underscore the US government's concern about efforts by foreign countries to influence the election by spreading false information meant to suppress voter turnout and undermine American confidence in the vote.
Such direct attempts to sway public opinion are more commonly associated with Russia.
The idea that Iran could be responsible suggested those tactics have been adopted by other nations, too.
Mr Rat c li ffe, the government's top intelligence official, said: “These actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries.”
Along with FBI director Chris Wray, he has insisted the US will impose costs on any foreign countries that interfere in the 2020 election.
He added that the integrity of the election is still sound. “You should be confident that your vote counts,” Mr Wray said.
“Early, unverified claims to the contrary should be viewed with a healthy dose of scepticism.”
The two officials called out Russia and Iran for having obtained voter registration information, though such data is sometimes easily accessible and there was no allegation either country had hacked a database for it.
Iran used the information to push out spoofed emails, officials said, and created a video that Mr Ratcliffe said falsely suggested voters could cast fraudulent ballots from overseas.
The pair did not describe the emails linked to Iran but officials familiar with the matter said the US has linked Tehran to messages sent to Democratic voters in at least four states, including battleground locations such as Pennsylvania, Florida and Arizona.
The emails falsely purported to be from the far-right group Proud Boys and warned “we will come after you” if the recipients do not vote for Donald Trump.
It would not be the first time the Trump administration has said that Tehran is working against the Republican president.
An intelligence assessment released in August said: “Iran seeks to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections.”