Hackers Seize Trump Court Docs, Release Could Shake US Election to the Core
A hacking collective alleges possession of documents linked to the Georgia election interference case involving former President Donald Trump and issues a threat of disclosure. Originally, the group stipulated a ransom deadline for Saturday, as reported by Business Insider. However, they later amended it, demanding payment by Thursday at 8:49 a.m. Eastern time.
As of Thursday morning, no documents have been released, and there is no public confirmation of any ransom being paid. The ransom amount requested by the group, which claims to have secured the pilfered files beyond law enforcement's grasp, remains undisclosed.
Identified as being led by a hacker adopting the pseudonym LockBitSupp, the group faced an FBI and Britain’s National Crime Agency raid on February 20. Authorities reported the takedown of 34 servers on that day. Simultaneously, the Department of Justice indicted two Russians, accusing them of involvement in over 2,000 cases since 2000, with ransomware payments exceeding $120 million.
Attorney General Merrick Garland remarked on the dismantling of the LockBit criminal operation, stating, “LockBit is not the first ransomware variant the Justice Department and its international partners have dismantled. It will not be the last.”
The hacking collective released a statement asserting they were targeted due to their knowledge about cases against Trump in Georgia. They claim the FBI's intervention aimed at preventing the leak of information from the stolen documents, which purportedly contain significant details about Donald Trump's court cases affecting the upcoming US election.
The group expressed a personal preference for Trump in the statement, citing concerns about the situation on the Mexico border and suggesting Biden's retirement. They contended that, if not for the FBI attack, the documents would have been released sooner, attributing the delay to stalled negotiations.
The statement further revealed a motive to target the .gov sector more frequently, asserting that such attacks would compel the FBI to reveal weaknesses and vulnerabilities, ultimately strengthening the hacking collective.
According to Atlanta News First, Fulton County has developed a plan to address potential leaks of private information resulting from this situation.