US officials accuse Russia, Iran of online election interference News
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US officials accuse Russia, Iran of online election interference

US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe said in a press conference Wednesday that Russia and Iran have obtained voter registration information which can be used to communicate false information to registered voters. The Treasury Department has responded to the interference by instituting sanctions solely targeting Iran.

Ratcliffe asserted that Iran is distributing “spoofed” emails and other content. Included in the other content is a video that implies people could cast fraudulent ballots from overseas.

FBI Director Christopher Wray also took part in the press conference, encouraging citizens to be “thoughtful, careful, and discerning consumers of information online.” But Wray assured citizens that they should have confidence in their ballot and “unverified claims to the contrary should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.”

The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on five Iranian entities in response to their attempt to “subvert US democratic processes.” Those entities are: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC-Qods Force , Bayan Rasaneh Gostar (Bayan Gostar), the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union and the International Union of Virtual Media Institute. The sanctions block the entities’ property interests in the US and prohibit US citizens from transacting with them. The Treasury Department press release claims:

Since at least 2015, Bayan Gostar has served as a front company for IRGC-QF propaganda efforts. In the months leading up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Bayan Gostar personnel have planned to influence the election by exploiting social issues within the United States, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and denigrating U.S. political figures. As recently as summer 2020, Bayan Gostar was prepared to execute a series of influence operations directed at the U.S. populace ahead of the presidential election.

Iran has responded to allegations of interference by denying all allegations of wrongdoing, insisting that it has no interest in interfering with US elections.

Iran’s attempt to incite fears over fraudulent ballots plays into US President Donald Trump’s narrative surrounding mail-in voting. He has argued, without evidence, that mail-in voting causes widespread fraud and inaccuracy.