Ministry of Justice Presentation Two Iranian citizens accused of intimidating voters and engaging in campaigns affecting the 2020 elections will be prosecuted on Thursday.
Between August and November 2020, Iranian citizens Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi and Sajjad Kashian allegedly targeted election websites in 11 states and received information from more than 100,000 American voters.
According to the complaint, the pair threatened to vote for former President Donald Trump by sending an email to Democratic voters disguised as members of the Proud Boys.
At about the same time, according to the Department of Justice, Hossein and Cassian are masquerading as Proud Boys, and vulnerabilities in Trump administration officials, Republican lawmakers, Trump campaign officials, and election infrastructure are being exploited to change votes. A department that sent Facebook messages and emails to the claiming press.
The incident was first reported in late October 2020, when then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Chris Ray held a press conference. Presentation It has been identified that Iran and Russia have taken action to interfere with American elections. At the time, Mr. Ratcliff said the move was aimed at harming Trump’s campaign.
According to the Justice Department, the alleged conspirator “engaged in an online voter intimidation campaign that included the dissemination of threatening messages,” which Proud Boys claimed to have been “tens of thousands of registered voters.” These emails were distributed to registered Democrats, who “remained unchanged from the party and were threatened with physical injuries if they did not vote for President Trump,” officials said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Thursday that the Justice Department’s actions indicate that state-sponsored actors will be detained to explain the election process and attempts to undermine public confidence in U.S. institutions. Stated.
“Today’s designation represents the joint efforts of the Treasury, the Department of State, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Blinken continued. “The US government has taken decisive and destructive action against those who are trying to thwart the sacredness of our elections, including the FBI, which warns the public about attempts prior to the 2020 elections.”
Besides the indictment, the State Department Said We offer a $ 10 million bounty for information about Kazami and Cassian’s activities. The Treasury has also sanctioned two individuals with an Iranian cybersecurity company.
“The Treasury will continue to counter efforts that undermine the integrity of the electoral system,” Deputy Secretary of Finance Wally Adeyemo said in a statement. “Today’s actions underscore the US government’s commitment to hold state-sponsored stakeholders accountable for attempting to undermine the election process and public confidence in US institutions.”
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Jack Phillips is the latest news reporter for The Epoch Times, based in New York.