GOP member questions FBI about Iran’s reported hacking attempt on Trump nominee Kash Patel
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Thom Tillis, RN.C., is demanding answers from the FBI after President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency was reportedly targeted by Iranian hackers.
“That an Iran-backed group is targeting a potential Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is alarming. Also alarming is the speed with which sensitive and potentially classified information about this attack spread to the media,” the North Carolina senator wrote in a letter Monday to the Deputy Director of the -FBI Paul Abbate.
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Thom Tillis, left, questions the FBI about the cyberattack on Kash Patel and how quickly the media found out about it. (Reuters)
It was reported by multiple outlets last week that Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director in his new administration, was the victim of an Iranian hacking attempt.
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In response to reports of the attempted hack, Trump Transition Spokesman Alex Pfeiffer told Fox News Digital, “Kash Patel has been an integral part of the Trump administration’s efforts to combat the Iranian terrorist regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as a group.” Director of the FBI.”
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Patel had been meeting senators on the hill. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
In his book, Tillis pointed to various legal sources that apparently communicated with the newspapers.
“As you know, it is important for the FBI and other intelligence agencies to maintain secrecy to ensure that the American people are safe from domestic and foreign enemies. The release of this information raises serious concerns for national security and personal safety,” he wrote.
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Tillis asked Abbate how the information got out. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The Republican asked Abbate a series of questions, including whether FBI employees shared information about the cyberattack with the media or with third parties that they could provide to the media.
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The FBI told Fox News Digital it had received the letter but had no further comment.
Patel has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill and meeting with senators as he looks to drum up support before Trump is inaugurated in January.
