{"id":2361682,"date":"2024-10-30T15:06:02","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T19:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stefanik-steps-up-concerns-fbi-downplaying-iranian-election-interference-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-10-30T15:08:37","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T19:08:37","slug":"stefanik-steps-up-concerns-fbi-downplaying-iranian-election-interference-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stefanik-steps-up-concerns-fbi-downplaying-iranian-election-interference-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Stefanik steps up concerns FBI downplaying Iranian \u2018election interference\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstefanik-steps-up-concerns-fbi-downplaying-iranian-election-interference-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2361682&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Elise Stefanik, the House Republican Conference Chairwoman, has raised alarms about the\u200b Biden administration allegedly minimizing Iranian efforts to interfere in the 2024 presidential election. As \u200ca senior\u2064 member of the House Intelligence Committee, she has expressed concern that the FBI is downplaying Iranian\u200c hacking attempts related to the Trump campaign, suggesting a political bias within the agency. She criticized \u200cthe FBI for operating like &#8220;an \u2062arm of the Democrat Party&#8221; and indicated that the \u2063Biden administration had prior knowledge of Iranian hacks that suggested a potential effort to manipulate the election outcome. In\u200b August, it was revealed that Iranian hackers gained\u200d access to documents from the Trump campaign and \u200cshared them with \u200dBiden&#8217;s team, which led\u200d to calls from both Stefanik and others for the FBI to disclose more information regarding the hacking incident. Stefanik claims that nearly four \u2062months after the investigation began, the FBI is not providing basic information, implying that it may be concealing significant facts about the situation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Stefanik steps up concerns FBI downplaying Iranian &lsquo;election interference&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1771411\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>House Republican Conference Chairwoman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elise-stefanik\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Elise Stefanik<\/a> (R-NY) is magnifying concerns that the Biden-Harris administration is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-face-gun-legislation-dilemma-as-support-for-house-background-check-bill-breaks-down\/\" title=\"Democrats Face Gun Legislation Dilemma as Support for House Background Check Bill Breaks Down\u00a0\">playing political games<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Iranian<\/a> attempts to influence the 2024 presidential election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>As a senior member of the powerful House Intelligence Committee, Stefanik has worried that the Biden administration&rsquo;s FBI is downplaying Iran&rsquo;s move to hack former President <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> due to political bias.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She increased pressure on the federal agency on Tuesday, saying, &ldquo;The FBI has functioned like an arm of the Democrat Party,&rdquo; in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/stefanik-accuses-fbi-covering-up-iranian-hack-trump-campaign-tip-scales-dems\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">comments<\/a> to Fox News Digital.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/live-blog\/2024-election-campaign-live-updates-harris-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>2024 ELECTIONS LIVE UPDATES: LATEST NEWS ON THE TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL RACE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I believe there was politicization from the Biden-Kamala Harris administration, that they were notified prior to the Trump campaign to tip the scales,&rdquo; she continued.<\/p>\n<p>Near the beginning of August, the Trump campaign learned that Iranian hackers had distributed its documents gleaned from a data breach to President Joe Biden&rsquo;s campaign in June and July when he was still running for reelection. Hackers then sent leaked materials, including a 271-page dossier about Trump&rsquo;s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), to major media outlets. At the time of the revelations in August, the FBI had been aware of the hacking attempts for over a month and had launched an investigation into the matter back when the data breach started in June, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2024\/08\/12\/trump-hack-iran-fbi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">per the<\/a> <em>Washington Post<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) attends a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>In a statement to the public in August, the FBI said: &ldquo;The [intelligence community] is confident that the Iranians have through social engineering and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iran-responsible-for-trump-campaign-hack-intel-agencies-say-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Iran responsible for Trump campaign hack, intel agencies say - Washington Examiner\">efforts sought access<\/a> to individuals with direct access to the Presidential campaigns of both political parties.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Such activity, including thefts and disclosures, are intended to influence the U.S. election process,&rdquo; the agency continued as it noted that Iran is trying to shape the outcome of the presidential election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Stefanik and other top political leaders, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), have <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">helped lead calls demanding<\/a> that the FBI reveal more about the extent, timing, and knowledge of Iran&rsquo;s hack into the Trump campaign.<\/p>\n<p>In August, Schiff argued that the agency &ldquo;moved much too slow to properly identify the hacking and dumping scheme carried out by Russia&rdquo; in previous elections and urged it to &ldquo;act quickly here.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But Stefanik said Wednesday that nearly four months after it opened its investigation, the FBI is still stonewalling &ldquo;very basic, easy&rdquo; questions about the Iranian hack.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m one of the longest-serving members on the House Intelligence Committee. When the FBI won&rsquo;t answer questions, it&rsquo;s because you&rsquo;ve hit on something and they&rsquo;re hiding something. They are corrupt to the core,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Stefanik&rsquo;s words come after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/what-is-the-fbi-hiding-about-iran-bureau-ignores-questions-election-interference-d06aa397?mod=opinion_lead_pos5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">she wrote an op-ed<\/a> for the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> suggesting that &ldquo;anti-Trump political bias has corrupted the Biden administration&rsquo;s FBI&rsquo;s decision-making&rdquo; regarding the Iranian data breach.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Today, on the eve of the presidential election, the FBI is doubling down on its politicization and corruption,&rdquo; Stefanik wrote on Sunday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, the FBI said it &ldquo;does not play in partisan politics and has proactively informed victims of the threats posed by this regime while also publicly bringing attention to their actions.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Iran is not the only foreign nation targeting U.S. presidential campaigns. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3206115\/dhs-looks-to-investigate-chinese-hack-of-trump-and-harris-campaigns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Chinese hacking campaign<\/a>, dubbed the &ldquo;Salt Typhoon,&rdquo; has infiltrated the Trump and Harris campaigns. The FBI confirmed the data breach earlier this month, saying the Chinese hackers had also targeted congressional staffers for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), as well as other members of the Biden administration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1771411\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1771411\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stefanik raises alarms over FBI&#8217;s handling of Iranian election interference<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2361684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Stefanik.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32119,5591,3823,3973,32076],"class_list":["post-2361682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-election-interference","tag-fbi","tag-iran","tag-stefanik","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Stefanik.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2361682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361682\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2361684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2361682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2361682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2361682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}