A hacker group believed to be connected to Iran is threatening to release more stolen emails tied to U.S. President Donald Trump’s inner circle.
The group, which goes by the name Robert, has already shared some emails with the media ahead of the 2024 U.S. election and now claims to have around 100 gigabytes of sensitive content.
In online chats with Reuters over the weekend, the hackers said the stolen emails came from the accounts of Trump’s White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, attorney Lindsey Halligan, long-time adviser Roger Stone, and adult film star Stormy Daniels, who has had public legal disputes with Trump.
The hackers did not reveal what the remaining emails contain but hinted they might sell the information. When asked about plans, they gave no clear answer. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the incident “an unconscionable cyber-attack,” while FBI Director Kash Patel stated that any individuals involved in breaches of national security would be fully investigated and prosecuted.
Requests for comment from those named, including Daniels, Halligan, and Stone, as well as the U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA, went unanswered. Iran’s representatives at the United Nations also did not respond. In the past, Tehran has denied involvement in cyberattacks and espionage.
The hacker group Robert first made headlines in the final months of the 2024 campaign when they claimed to have breached the emails of several Trump allies and shared selected messages with journalists. Some of the leaked documents were verified by Reuters, including one email that appeared to show a financial arrangement between Trump and lawyers for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is now serving as Trump’s health secretary. Other emails discussed Republican campaign matters and legal talks with Stormy Daniels.
Despite receiving media attention, the leaks did not appear to influence the outcome of the election, which Trump ultimately won.
In September 2024, the U.S. Justice Department accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of running the hacking operation behind Robert. When contacted, the hackers declined to comment on that accusation.
After Trump’s return to office, the group claimed they had no plans for further leaks and even told Reuters in May, “I am retired, man.” But that changed after the recent 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which ended with U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Since then, the hackers have re-emerged, saying they are organizing a sale of the stolen emails and want the media to help draw attention to it.
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Frederick Kagan, a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute who studies Iranian cyber operations, said Iran’s intelligence services may now be looking for ways to retaliate without triggering more military responses from the U.S. or Israel. He noted that leaking emails might serve that purpose, saying, “It’s the kind of asymmetric move that sends a message but doesn’t restart a war.”
