U.S.
Trump-aligned group believed to be attacked by Chinese hackers
By
The Washington Post October 12, 2024
Josh Dawsey, Isaac Arnsdorf and Perry Stein
The Washington Post October 12, 2024
Former Trump administration official and current America First Policy Institute Board Chair Linda McMahon speaks during the America First Agenda Summit organized by AFPI on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
A political organization helping prepare for the potential presidential transition of Donald Trump was recently cyber attacked by what federal authorities believe are Chinese hackers, according to people familiar with the matter.
Materials were taken from online accounts belonging to the America First Policy Institute, which has put together policy proposals for a second term and recommendations for jobs and agencies, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the investigation.
The group was founded by an array of former top Trump administration officials and the chairwoman of its board, Linda McMahon, is a leader of the transition planning. Its president, Brooke Rollins, was a top official in the Trump White House.
“As the leading policy group in the America First movement, it is not surprising that hostile foreign actors would attempt to infiltrate our IT,” said Marc Lotter, a spokesman for the group. “The tactics, techniques, and procedures of the threat actor are similar to that of nation-state sponsored activities we have seen, allowing us to remediate and respond quickly. Like the America First movement itself, AFPI will not creep at the speed of government but act at the speed of business with the world’s leading cyber experts to even further enhance our already robust security.”
The Justice Department and FBI declined to comment.
The news of the hack itself — but not the suspected Chinese involvement based on the preliminary investigation — was first reported Friday by Politico.
Trump gave AFPI a prominent role in the transition in part to distance himself from the Heritage Foundation, which is also stacked with alumni from his administration and is responsible for Project 2025, the right-wing plan written by his allies that has become a central attack line by Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
Besides McMahon, the group includes more than a dozen former Trump administration advisers. Trump has spoken at the group’s events.
The Trump campaign has been repeatedly targeted by Iran, which successfully infiltrated the campaign’s email account and has sought to disseminate some campaign documents publicly, according to a federal indictment unsealed last month