A group helping to lay the groundwork for a future Donald Trump administration said its computer systems were breached, marking the second known instance that people supporting the former president have been the target of a cyberattack.
The America First Policy Institute discovered the breach last week. It would not say what materials were compromised.
“As the leading policy group in the America First movement, it is not surprising that hostile foreign actors would attempt to infiltrate our IT,” Marc Lotter, the organization’s chief communications officer, said in a statement. “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.”
AFPI is one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration. It has been publishing policy guides and penning executive orders and draft legislation for Trump to potentially implement if he wins.
It is led by Brooke Rollins, who previously led Trump’s Domestic Policy Council and is widely expected to be a contender for a top job if Trump wins again.
The group also includes Linda McMahon, who led Trump’s Small Business Administration and now co-chairs Trump’s transition team.
The reported breach comes after authorities said Iranian hackers targeted Trump’s campaign and email accounts of some supporters and stole some material. Three Iranian operatives have been charged with the cyber attack.
The FBI declined to comment Saturday on the latest reported breach.
The breach was first reported by Politico.
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Associated Press writer Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.
