House China Committee Leader Calls for Classified Briefing on Chinese Hackers Impersonating US Lawmaker

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Sep 11, 2025 - 10:03 Updated: Sep 11, 2025 - 09:55
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House China Committee Leader Calls for Classified Briefing on Chinese Hackers Impersonating US Lawmaker

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The leading Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is requesting U.S. intelligence officials to arrange a classified briefing, after suspected Chinese state-backed cyberactors impersonated the panel’s Republican chair to steal sensitive data.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) called the CCP’s cyber tactic of impersonating Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) an “illegal and sanctionable act,” in a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI Director Kash Patel on Sept. 8.

“While the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) routinely condemns the Select Committee’s work, impersonating its leadership in an attempt to infiltrate the computer networks of U.S. organizations and agencies represents a profound escalation,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.

The committee said on Monday that suspected CCP-linked hackers had been impersonating Moolenaar in emails to individuals and organizations involved in U.S.-China trade policy negotiations over the past few weeks, including those at U.S. government agencies, business organizations, DC law firms and think tanks, and at least one foreign government.

The email contained malicious links and files designed to compromise the recipients’ systems if opened. The committee noted that the timing of the cyber campaign appeared to be intended to influence U.S. policy discussions and negotiation strategies, potentially giving China a strategic advantage in trade and foreign policy matters.

Citing media reports, Krishnamoorthi pointed out that the hacking campaign had been attributed to APT41, a Chinese hacking group affiliated with China’s Ministry of State Security.

In 2020, the U.S. Justice Department charged five Chinese nationals, all members of APT41, who were accused of stealing trade secrets and sensitive information from over 100 companies and entities around the world. The FBI has placed the five defendants on its most wanted list.

“This incident not only posed an immediate cyber risk to the recipients of the fake emails, but presents an ongoing threat to trust in congressional communications, given the newfound skepticism legitimate emails from my Committee may face given the CCP’s attempts to impersonate its leadership,” Krishnamoorthi stated.

Krishnamoorthi, who also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said he feared the incident “may merely be the tip of the iceberg,” suggesting it may not be the first time this had happened, and likely won’t be the last.

As a result, Krishnamoorthi said, “Congress urgently requires full transparency regarding this alarming incident,” as well as any other suspected efforts by China’s intelligence agencies or their affiliates to impersonate U.S. lawmakers.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the FBI should hold the classified briefing before Sept. 30, Krishnamoorthi wrote, and the two agencies should be prepared to answer questions, including whether APT41 has impersonated other U.S. officials using similar email messages.

The two agencies should also disclose the number of U.S. lawmakers that the CCP has attempted to impersonate via email or other electronic means, and provide their names if known, according to the letter.

Krishnamoorthi also asked whether the two agencies are aware of any U.S.-based organizations or agencies that have been “successfully compromised or hacked” as a result of the CCP’s cyber impersonation scheme targeting U.S. officials.

Several Republicans on the China committee have also criticized the CCP over the incident.
“The CCP has been ramping up their cyber-espionage as part of their continued efforts to undermine the United States,” Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) wrote on X on Sept. 9. “We must quickly address this growing threat and hold the CCP accountable for this attempt to illegally gain an economic advantage in trade negotiations.”
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“The CCP’s cyber warfare is relentless & a threat to every American. We must continue to work together & protect our national security,” Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) wrote on X on Sept. 9.
CCP-backed hackers have waged a cyberwar against the United States for many years, with Volt Typhoon and Flax Typhoon targeting U.S. critical infrastructure and Salt Typhoon hitting U.S. telecommunication networks.
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Last December, Chinese hackers breached the U.S. Treasury Department and stole documents from its workstations.
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