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Iran 2020 Voter-Threat and Disinformation Campaign

Proud Boys false-flag email campaign · Emennet Pasargad election interference campaign

An Iranian cyber-enabled campaign that obtained voter information, sent threatening emails while impersonating the Proud Boys, circulated a fabricated video purporting to show fraudulent overseas ballots, and attempted to use compromised media infrastructure to spread further post-election claims.

The U.S. Treasury attributed the campaign to the Iranian cyber company Emennet Pasargad and sanctioned the company and associated individuals. A federal indictment alleges a four-stage conspiracy; those criminal charges remain allegations unless proved in court. A later Justice Department Inspector General review independently described how the FBI identified the Iranian origin, warned platforms and victims, and helped disrupt distribution. The activity targeted confidence and voters, not the systems that counted ballots, and no source in this record finds that it altered any tally.

Elections

Actors

Narratives spread

Evidence Library

IndictmentU.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of New YorkNovember 18, 2021
United States v. Kazemi and Kashian — 2020 election interference indictment
OriginalArchived
Official reportU.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets ControlNovember 18, 2021
Treasury sanctions Iran cyber actors for attempting to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election
OriginalArchived
Official reportU.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector GeneralJuly 2024
Evaluation of DOJ information sharing about foreign malign influence threats to U.S. elections
OriginalArchived

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