MIDLAND, MI — A group of hackers targeted U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Midland) amid trade negotiations between the United States and China, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Multiple trade groups, law firms, and federal government agencies received an email which appeared to have been sent by Moolenaar, according to The Wall Street Journal article published Sunday, Sept. 7.
Moolenaar serves as the chairman of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
In the email, which was sent from a non-government address by hackers posing as Moolenaar, the sender asked recipients to provide input on proposed sanctions targeting Beijing. The email was first sent in July, according to The Wall Street Journal.
It is believed the hackers’ primary aim was to uncover any input President Donald Trump might be receiving regarding trade to give Chinese officials a leg-up on future negotiations with the United States. However, it is unclear if the cyber-attack was successful, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“This is another example of China’s offensive cyber operations designed to steal American strategy and leverage it against Congress, the Administration, and the American people,” Moolenaar said in a statement to MLive Monday, Sept. 8. “We will not be intimidated, and we will continue our work to keep America safe.”
Cyber analysts were able to link malware tied to the cyberattack to a group of Chinese hackers that is believed to have connections with Beijing’s Ministry of State Security.
The Moolenaar emails are being investigated by the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police, according to the report.
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