[ad_1]
“You will vote for Trump on Election Day, otherwise we will go after you.”
That’s what the email said to registered Democrats in at least four states, including Florida and Alaska, last week. The sender purports to be the far-right organization The Proud Boys, which has been involved in various acts of violence during the year. But the organization’s leaders have denied their involvement.
According to the US Security Service. instead comes e-mail from Iran. During a press conference on Wednesday local time, the authority announced that both Iran and Russia came across data on US polls and voters. The information has been used to influence public opinion ahead of the November 3 presidential election.
– These are desperate actions taken by desperate opponents, John Ratcliffe, head of the US National Intelligence Service at the press conference.
He accused Iran of using the data to intimidate voters, create unrest and harm President Donald Trump.
In several of the emails are available a video claiming that there are false votes in the elections. Viewers are then given a guide on how to drop off fake ballots.
– That video and all the accusations about false ballots are false, says Ratcliffe.
At the same time, US authorities emphasized that the country’s electoral system is still secure.
“We will not tolerate foreign interference in our elections or any criminal activity that threatens electoral security or confidence in it,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
It is the first time during the current election campaign that a foreign power has been accused of targeting specific voters, writes the Washington Post. In the 2016 elections, Russia was accused of trying to influence the voting result, among other things, by spreading propaganda on social media.
.
