US officials believe hackers with links to the Chinese government targeted the call and text data of prominent figures in the Republican and Democratic parties, including Eric Trump and Jared Kushner, as part of a sweeping cyber-espionage operation.
The hack, which affected dozens of individuals, is one of the most serious national security breaches in recent memory, impacting senior figures on both sides of the political aisle just days before the US election, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
The hackers infiltrated telecom providers including AT&T, Lumen, and Verizon, which allowed access to the communications of political figures like former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and personnel associated with the Harris-Walz campaign. High-ranking Democrats, including staff members of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, were also targeted, as per reports from CNN.
Officials revealed that in some cases, the hackers maintained access to targeted call and text data for several months. The FBI has begun notifying affected individuals, while officials continue to assess the extent of the breach.
The hackers’ goal appears to be intelligence gathering on private communications, rather than direct election interference, although they likely sought to extract other sensitive national security data, including Justice Department wiretap requests.
A source briefed on the investigation described the operation as “real-time wiretapping,” exploiting the lawful access system mandated for telecom companies by the Department of Justice.
“We might as well let Huawei come into the network,” remarked one source, highlighting the severity of the breach, referencing the US restrictions on the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei over similar spying concerns.
Eric Trump, who has remained a visible presence in his father’s campaign, expressed outrage, linking the breach to alleged leniency from the Biden administration towards China. Kushner, who has been largely absent from the campaign trail, reportedly had no data accessed, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Both the FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are investigating, although neither has commented on specific targets.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, denied any involvement, labelling reports of Beijing’s involvement in telecom breaches a “distortion of the fact.” The Trump campaign has adopted enhanced security protocols, including frequent phone rotations, to minimise potential data exposure.
Source:
CNN
