By Emeka Blast 
Emails of Trump Aides Compromised by Hackers Threatening Leak
A group of Iran-linked hackers, operating under the pseudonym “Robert,” has threatened to release a trove of private emails stolen from aides and associates of U.S. President Donald Trump, aiming to discredit him following his second-term inauguration. The hackers, allegedly tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed to possess approximately 100 gigabytes of data, including emails from White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, longtime adviser Roger Stone, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, and adult film star Stormy Daniels, according to Reuters. The threat, reported on Monday, June 30, follows a 12-day air war between Israel and Iran, which ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) condemned the threat as a “calculated smear campaign” designed to “distract, discredit, and divide,” labeling it “digital propaganda” targeting Trump and his administration. CISA spokesperson Marci McCarthy stated, “These criminals will be found and brought to justice.” FBI Director Kash Patel echoed this, vowing that “anyone associated with any kind of breach of national security will be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The hackers’ activities trace back to the 2024 presidential campaign, when they breached email accounts of Trump allies, including Wiles, and distributed sensitive material to media outlets like Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. The leaks, which included a 271-page dossier on vice presidential candidate JD Vance and communications regarding a financial arrangement with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s lawyers, were part of a hack-and-leak operation attributed to the IRGC by a September 2024 Justice Department indictment. The three accused operatives—Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi—face charges including wire fraud, identity theft, and material support to a terrorist organization.
Despite earlier claims of “retirement” in May 2025, “Robert” resumed communications with Reuters this week, citing the recent U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites as motivation. The group raised the possibility of selling the stolen emails but provided no specifics on their content or release plans. Iran’s UN mission denied involvement, calling the accusations “fundamentally unfounded” and “wholly inadmissible.”
The leaks, while garnering some coverage in 2024, did not significantly alter the presidential race, which Trump won. American Enterprise Institute scholar Frederick Kagan suggested the renewed threat is a low-risk retaliation tactic by Iran, unlikely to provoke further U.S. or Israeli military action. U.S. officials continue to monitor Iran’s cyber activities, with warnings that critical infrastructure and companies remain potential targets.
The White House and FBI have not commented further, while Trump’s team has called for transparency from the Harris campaign regarding any prior interactions with the hackers during the 2024 election cycle. The ongoing investigation underscores heightened U.S. efforts to counter foreign interference in its political processes.
