The Biden-Harris campaign has come under fire for its decision not to inform law enforcement after receiving stolen materials from the Trump campaign in 2020. According to a joint statement by federal agencies, foreign hackers linked to Iran sent emails containing non-public information from Donald Trump’s campaign to Biden’s team.

Although Biden’s campaign officials reportedly did not open the emails or use the stolen data, they also did not notify the proper authorities about the hacking attempts. This has raised concerns about how political campaigns handle cybersecurity threats and their responsibility to report such incidents.

The FBI, along with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, warned that Iranian cyber actors had been distributing Trump campaign materials to disrupt the election. The hackers reportedly targeted Biden campaign officials and U.S. media outlets, hoping to leak the stolen information.

While the joint statement claimed there was no evidence Biden’s team replied to the hackers, critics are questioning why they chose not to involve law enforcement. The incident has sparked debate about the obligations political campaigns have when confronted with stolen information, regardless of whether they engage with it.

This revelation has further highlighted the need for robust cybersecurity measures in future elections, as foreign interference continues to be a persistent threat.