U.S. Officials Say Iran Was Behind Threatening Emails Sent To U.S. Voters

U.S. national security officials have claimed that Iran and Russia have obtained Americans’ voter registration information in an attempt to influence the U.S. presidential election only weeks before voting concludes. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe claimed that Iran sent “spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest, and damage President Trump.”

After an investigation, Ratcliffe and FBI Director Christopher Wray held a rushed news conference Wednesday night and claimed that Iran and Russia have “taken specific actions to influence public opinion” relating to the election.

The conference came after the Washington Post reported that U.S. intelligence agencies believed Iran was behind threatening emails sent to Democratic voters.

Ratcliffe said voter registration information was obtained by both Iran and Russia, and he accused Iran of sending emails that appear to be from the right-wing militia group, Proud Boys, whose members are known to support Trump.

Ratcliffe added: “Additionally, Iran is distributing other content to include a video that implies that individuals could cast fraudulent ballots.” Ratcliffe said the information was false.

Ratcliffe said that Russia has not taken similar actions as Iran, but claims Russia “obtained some voter information, just as they did in 2016.” Last month, Wray warned that Russia was actively interfering in the election by spreading disinformation about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Despite Ratcliffe’s assertion that Iran is responsible for the emails, an intelligence official told Reuters that it “was still unclear who was behind them,” and that “evidence remains inconclusive.”

Officials in Iran have denied Ratcliffe’s allegations of attempting to influence the 2020 election. Iran's United Nations mission spokesman Alireza Miryousefi said on Wednesday: “Unlike the U.S., Iran does not interfere in other country's elections. The world has been witnessing U.S.' own desperate public attempts to question the outcome of its own elections at the highest level.”

Also Wednesday night, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow that the classified briefing on alleged Iranian election interference didn’t convince him that bad actors were aiming to damage Trump, contradicting Ratcliffe’s statement.

“I did receive a classified briefing this afternoon on this, and so I can't discuss the details but I can tell you one thing it was clear to me, that the intent of Iran in this case, and Russia in many more cases is to … basically undermine confidence in our elections,” Schumer said.

He added: “This action I do not believe was aimed, from my surmise, was aimed at discrediting President Trump.”

The leaders of the Senate Committee on Intelligence, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), released a statement Wednesday urging “every American – including members of the media – be cautious about believing or spreading unverified, sensational claims related to votes and voting.”

What did the emails to voters actually say?


On Tuesday, reports emerged that voters in four states, including three key battlegrounds this year, had received the same email demanding recipients vote for Trump and threatening “we will come after you” if they don’t comply.

In an email obtained by the Gainesville Sun in Florida on Tuesday, the sender’s email address is listed as [email protected]. The message read: “We are in possession of all your information (email, address, telephone… everything).”

The message continued: “You are currently registered as a Democrat and we know this because we have gained access to the entire voting infrastructure. You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you.”

Several other voters in Florida reported receiving similar emails, prompting the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office to launch an investigation. In a Facebook post, the sheriff’s office said it was “aware of an email that is circulating.”

“The email appears to be a scam and we will be initiating an investigation into the source of the email along with assistance from our partners on the federal level,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

Voters in other states including Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Arizona have also reported receiving a similar email. It is not immediately clear whether all the recipients are registered Democrats, but Pennsylvania, Florida, and Arizona are all considered swing states.
Who are the Proud Boys?


Proud Boys Chairman and the Florida state director of Latinos for Trump Henry “Enrique” Tarrio Jr. has told multiple media outlets that his group was not affiliated with the emails, and that he also notified authorities.

“There is no reason for us to send an email like that. To whoever did this, I condemn these people,” Tarrio told the Miami Herald.

The Proud Boys are considered an extremist hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Earlier this month, Google removed the extremist group from its platform, blocking its website and online store.

Some have accused the Trump administration of encouraging supporters to use voter intimidation tactics throughout this year’s election, and the subject came up during Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings. The president has repeatedly urged people to volunteer as “poll watchers,” citing unfounded theories of voter fraud. Trump has also on more than one occasion refused to condemn The Proud Boys — including at the first presidential debate, after which the group gained more national attention.

Under federal law, a person cannot “intimidate, threaten, coerce” a person with the intention to interfere with their right to vote.