Pro-Iranian hacktivist group Handala publicly stated on its website that it breached and leaked data from the personal inbox of U.S. FBI Director Kash Patel on March 27, Reuters reported the same day. A U.S. Department of Justice official confirmed to Reuters that Patel's emails were compromised but did not offer details.

Handala published photographs of the director and his purported resume, along with a mix of personal and work email correspondence between 2010 and 2019. The FBI previously seized two websites linked to Handala on March 19, one used to publicize its hacks and another used to dox individuals with ties to the Israeli military and defense contractors.