U.S. investigators have uncovered evidence that Russia was at least partly responsible for a cyber-intrusion into the electronic filing system used by federal courts, according to people briefed on the probe and first reported by the New York Times. The breach targeted the Case Management/Electronic Case Files platform and its public portal, PACER, compromising sealed and sensitive records tied to espionage, money-laundering and other criminal cases. Judiciary officials noticed an escalation in activity around the July 4 holiday and confirmed the attack on Aug. 7, describing it as the work of “persistent and sophisticated cyber threat actors.” An internal Justice Department memo called the situation an “URGENT MATTER,” and courts in several districts have since ordered highly sensitive filings to be submitted on paper while security upgrades are installed. Sources familiar with the inquiry said the hackers searched for mid-level criminal cases in New York and other jurisdictions, potentially exposing confidential informants and sealed indictments. The incident revives concerns about the aging infrastructure of the federal court network, which was also hit during the 2020 SolarWinds campaign attributed to Moscow. Asked about the findings ahead of his 15 August summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, President Donald Trump said he “could” raise the issue but added, “Are you surprised? They hack in—that’s what they do.”