US officials: Iran sent emails intimidating American voters

Iran is responsible for emails meant to intimidate American voters and sow unrest in multiple states, and Tehran and Moscow have also obtained voter registration with goal of interfering in election, US officials said at a rare news conference Tuesday night just two weeks before vote.

John Ratcliffe, intelligence director, and FBI Director Chris Wray said US will impose costs on any foreign countries interfering in 2020 US election.

Despite Iranian and Russian actions, y said Americans can be confident that ir vote will be counted.

"se actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries," Ractliffe said.

news conference was held as Democratic voters in at least four battleground states, including Florida and Pennsylvania, have received threatening emails, falsely purporting to be from far-right group Proud Boys, that warned "we will come after you" if recipients didn't vote for President Donald Trump.

voter-intimidation operation apparently used email addresses obtained from state voter registration lists, which include party affiliation and home addresses and can include email addresses and phone numbers.

Those addresses were n used in an apparently widespread targeted spamming operation. senders claimed y would kw which candidate recipient was voting for in vember 3 election, for which early voting is ongoing.