Political News

Hacked celebrity law firm says it has not worked with Trump

A high-profile New York law firm targeted by hackers said it has never worked with President Donald Trump after the alleged cyber criminals threatened to release damaging information about the President.

Posted Updated

By
Donie O'Sullivan
, CNN
CNN — A high-profile New York law firm targeted by hackers said it has never worked with President Donald Trump after the alleged cyber criminals threatened to release damaging information about the President.

Grubman, Shire, Meiselas & Sacks, P.C. confirmed to CNN on Saturday that it had been hacked. The firm, run by star lawyer Allen Grubman, works with some of the world's best-known celebrities.

The firm said that Trump has never been a client of theirs. Currently, there is no evidence the hackers actually have damaging information about the President.

A spokesperson for the law firm said the hackers were demanding a $42 million ransom. Otherwise, the hackers said they'll release more of the firm's documents.

The spokesperson said the firm is working with the FBI and they will not pay the ransom. CNN has reached out to the FBI for comment.

"The leaking of our clients' documents is a despicable and illegal attack by these foreign cyberterrorists who make their living attempting to extort high-profile US companies, government entities, entertainers, politicians, and others," the spokesperson said.

"We have been informed by the experts and the FBI that negotiating with or paying ransom to terrorists is a violation of federal criminal law," the spokesperson added. "Even when enormous ransoms have been paid, the criminals often leak the documents anyway."

Companies and local governments across the US and around the world have been the target of ransomware attacks. Hackers get access to a victim's system and often encrypt a victim's files -- only giving victims access to their own files after they pay a ransom.

Copyright 2024 by Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.