Emails used by staff members of several committees in the U.S. House of Representatives were compromised in a cyber intrusion linked to a Chinese hacking group.
According to the Financial Times, the group, nicknamed Salt Typhoon, accessed email systems used by some staffers on the House China committee, as well as aides working for panels overseeing foreign affairs, intelligence and the armed services.
It did not identify which specific staff members were targeted in the breach.
Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu condemned what he called “unfounded speculation and accusations,” while the Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to comment.
The White House and the offices of the four committees reportedly targeted did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A person familiar with the campaign said it was unclear whether the attackers had accessed lawmakers’ emails during the intrusions, which were detected in December.
U.S. lawmakers and their aides, particularly those involved in overseeing the country’s military and intelligence agencies, have been targets for cyber espionage, with reports of hacks or attempted breaches occurring periodically.
In November, the Senate Sergeant at Arms notified multiple congressional offices of a “cyber incident,” in which hackers may have accessed communications between the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and some Senate offices.
In 2023, the Washington Post reported that two senior U.S. lawmakers were among the targets of a Vietnam-linked hacking operation.
The Salt Typhoon hackers, alleged to be working for Chinese intelligence, have been accused of gathering data on Americans’ telephone communications and intercepted conversations, including those involving U.S. politicians and government officials.
Beijing has repeatedly denied being behind the alleged spying activities.
Early last year, the United States imposed sanctions on alleged hacker Yin Kecheng and cybersecurity company Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology, accusing both of involvement in the Salt Typhoon hacking campaign.
