WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is preparing criminal charges in connection with an Iranian hack that targeted Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, two people familiar with the matter said Thursday.

It was not immediately clear when the charges might be announced, but they’re the result of an FBI investigation into an intrusion that investigators quickly linked to an Iranian effort to influence this year’s presidential election.

The two people who discussed the looming criminal charges spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because they were not authorized to speak publicly about a case that had not yet been unsealed.

The Washington Post first reported that charges were being prepared.