The FBI is looking into Chinese hackers who are said to have impersonated U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Caledonia) with a series of phishing emails.
Moolenaar is the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and represents Michigan's 2nd Congressional District.
This summer, hackers with connections to the Chinese government pretended to be Moolenaar and sent emails to officials working on trade negotiations with China. The emails were sent from a non-government account and contained spyware.
Moolenaar said the emails were seeking access to sensitive government information, and the perpetrators targeted numerous others.
“We will not be intimidated, and we will continue our work to keep America safe,” Moolenaar told WCMU. “The groups that they targeted were U.S. government agencies, U.S. business organizations, D.C. law firms and think tanks, and at least one foreign government.”
The House select committee has been the target of other similar campaigns, according to Moolenaar.
“In January of 2025, a cyber campaign targeted four select committee staff members who were working on a confidential investigation into ZPMC,” he said. “The hackers' emails look to deceive the recipients, get them to open files and links that would grant access to their systems and gain information during ongoing high-level U.S.-China trade talks.”
ZMPC is a Chinese state-owned crane manufacturer.
In an emailed statement to WCMU, an FBI spokesperson said they're aware of the situation and are working to "identify and pursue those responsible.”
