The United States Justice Department is preparing to file criminal charges in connection with the hacking of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, according to two law enforcement officials cited by NBC News. The Trump campaign had announced last August that it had fallen victim to a cyber attack. At the time, federal officials had attributed the hacking to Iran, suggesting that it was part of a broader campaign to steal and leak confidential files from the Trump campaign.

Despite the hackers' attempts, the information obtained has not been widely disseminated to the media. A few American media outlets and an independent journalist have received alleged hacked files from an individual using the name "Robert." These files were reportedly emailed from an America Online (AOL) address. However, none of these organizations have published the contents of the files. The reasons behind their decision not to share the information remain unknown.

Following the news of impending charges, there has been no immediate response from Iran's Mission to the United Nations. Previously, the mission had denied any involvement in the hacking operation. The identity of the individuals or entities that will be charged, as well as the specific details of the charges, have not been disclosed at this time. NBC News reached out to an email address associated with "Robert," but received no response. Subsequent attempts to email the account resulted in bounce backs, indicating that the account has been deleted.

During a recent press call, federal officials reiterated their belief that Iran sought to undermine former President Trump's campaign, while Russia aimed to boost him over Vice President Kamala Harris. This aligns with the Justice Department's previous charges against employees of RT, a Russian-backed media network, for operating an illegal funding scheme targeting conservative influencers.

Cybersecurity experts have long warned about Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and their sophisticated email phishing operations. These operations are typically undertaken to gather intelligence for Tehran. Both Microsoft and Google have reported observing IRGC hackers attempting to breach the security of various presidential campaigns. Google specifically stated that the hackers targeted both the Trump campaign and President Joe Biden's campaign before he withdrew from the race.

This is not the first time that U.S. authorities have accused Iran of interfering with election processes. Prior to the 2020 presidential election, the Justice Department had charged two Iranians with conducting an elaborate scheme to manipulate and deceive Florida Democrats by sending them emails disguised as communications from the Proud Boys, a pro-Trump militia.

As the Justice Department prepares to bring charges in the Trump campaign hacking case, the public eagerly awaits further details regarding the allegations and the individuals involved.