FBI ‘covering up’ Iranian election interference in 2024: Congressman

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is “doubling down on politicization and corruption” by hiding details of it That of Iran election interference operations that were potentially useful Kamala Harris’ campaign, according to A Republican Congressman.

Major concerns have arisen about possible foreign interference in the economy 2024 presidential electionwith officials and analysts increasingly concerned that campaigns could be affected, or that voters would be swayed, by hacks and sophisticated disinformation operations originating from Russia, Chinaand Iran.

However, despite multiple reports from the U.S. intelligence community detailing these efforts, and criminal charges have been filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against multiple individuals, New York Representative Elise Stefanik believes questions still remain about the extent of Tehran’s influence operation.

“It is my duty to share with the American people what the FBI has failed to answer – and, in my opinion, deliberately covered up – about Iranian influence in the 2024 presidential election,” Stefanik wrote in a speech. Sunday op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.

Stefanik, a member of the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said she asked FBI Director Christopher Wray for additional information on Tehran’s actions after the bureau gave a closed briefing in late September on foreign interference in the elections.

While Stefanik said the FBI had promised to follow through on her request, she said it has now “gone quiet” and held back its investigation.

Stefanik’s thirteen questions, published in her column, concern the Bureau’s knowledge of the issue mid-2024 hacks on the Trump campaignand the exfiltration of campaign data that was subsequently sent to individuals associated with the Biden campaign, as well Politicsthe Washingtonpost and the New York Times.

Newsweek has contacted the FBI for a response to Stefanik’s article and to inquire whether it will respond to its list of questions.

In late September, the DOJ unsealed an indictment accusing three Iranian nationals of their role in the attack, which the department said was “part of Iran’s ongoing efforts to foment discord and erode confidence in the U.S. election process.”

“The conduct detailed in the indictment is just the latest example of Iran’s brazen behavior. That’s why today the FBI wants to send a message to the government of Iran: You and your hackers can’t hide behind your keyboards,” says FBI Director Wray. said at the time.

However, Stefanik said the indictment does not provide sufficient details about the FBI’s investigation, indicating that critical information is still being withheld from the American public.

“The FBI could easily and quickly answer these questions without hindering any investigation or revealing sources, methods or classified information,” Stefanik said. “Its refusal to do so suggests it is withholding information that would reflect poorly on the FBI – perhaps an attempt to influence the election through when and who it briefed, or the FBI’s complicity. Democratic presidential agents in this foreign election interference.”

According to Stefanik, this would not be the first time that the FBI has been influenced by “political bias against Trump.” She cited the period 2016-2017 “Crossfire hurricane“investigation into the ties between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia, as well as the” censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story.”

Stefanik continued, “We will not tolerate a rogue FBI withholding information on an issue as important as this: a foreign enemy seeking to undermine, hack and assassinate the leading candidate for president.”

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