Iran and Russia are interfering in the US election, according to the US intelligence coordinator. They spread false information and illegally stole “some” of the personal data of registered voters, said John Ratcliffe last night (local time) at a short-term press conference.
The data could be misused to misinform voters and create confusion, he said. Iranian authorities had sent e-mails with the aim of „intimidating voters, stirring up social unrest and harming President Trump,“ said Ratcliffe.
At the same time he assured the Americans that the integrity of the November 3rd election would not be jeopardized. „Rest assured, your voices are safe,“ said Ratcliffe. FBI chief Christopher Wray added, „We will not tolerate foreign interference in our election or any criminal activity that undermines the integrity of your voice or the public’s confidence in the outcome of the election.“
No information on data origin and motives
Ratcliffe and Wray did not provide information on how much voter data Iran and Russia are said to have captured. Registered voter data is typically stored in counties and municipalities in the United States. No information was given as to which states or locations the voter data should come from.
It also remained unclear what motive Iran should have for its actions. The US secret services are convinced that Tehran is hoping that Donald Trump will be voted out of office. To what extent the emails calling for Trump’s election served this purpose remained unclear.
In addition, Iran has released a video falsely claiming that it is easy to cast fake votes at home and abroad, Ratcliffe said.
„These acts are desperate attempts by desperate enemies,“ said Ratcliffe. The secret services have not yet detected any such actions by Russia. As in 2016, Moscow has captured data on voters.
