Trump’s FBI nominee Kash Patel targeted in Iran-backed hack, reports say

US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI was reportedly one of the targets of a recent cyberattack backed by Iran.

The FBI informed Kash Patel that his communications had been targeted, two people familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC’s partner network in the US. It is not clear whether the alleged hacking attempt was successful or how much information might have been breached.

The news follows warnings from US officials of Iran-based hackings on Trump allies since the summer. Prosecutors charged three Iranians in September in connection with a cyberattack on Trump’s 2024 election campaign.

Iran has previously denied similar allegations.

In a statement to US news outlets that did not specifically acknowledge the reports, a Trump spokesperson said: “Kash Patel was a key part of the first Trump administration’s efforts against the terrorist Iranian regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as the FBI director.”

The FBI declined to comment on the alleged hacking.

Officials have previously accused Iran of making repeated efforts to target people close to Trump, who ordered a deadly drone strike on top Iranian commander Gen Qasem Soleimani in 2020, during his first stint in the White House.

In September, US authorities charged three members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with hacking Trump’s presidential campaign. The trio were accused of leaking stolen material to the rival Democratic campaign.

The scale or consequences were not clear following the fresh hacking attempt of Patel, which was first reported by the news website Semafor.

On Saturday, Trump announced Patel – a loyalist and former defence department chief of staff during his first term – as his nominee to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), an agency that both men have often criticised.

The president-elect hailed him as “a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people”.

But critics have questioned his qualifications, and have voiced their anxieties that the FBI could become a tool for exacting retribution after Patel vowed to “come after” certain Trump opponents.

For Patel to take the job, the current FBI director Christopher Wray – also appointed by Trump during his first stint – would need to resign or be sacked.

Patel’s appointment will require a vote of confirmation in the US Senate. Trump is due to return to the White House on 20 January 2025.