Huawei and ZTE may have lost some more customers in the US. According to CNN, the Democratic National Committee has warned candidates running in the midterm elections to stay away from devices built by the Chinese vendors.
The DNC sent out the warning after learning that one Democratic organization was considering buying smartphones from ZTE, CNN said in a Friday report.
"It's very important that party and campaign workers not use ZTE or Huawei devices, even if the price is low or free," the DNC's chief security officer, Bob Lord, reportedly wrote in the memo.
"Please make sure that you are not using or purchasing ZTE or Huawei devices anywhere within your staff —for personal or work-related use," Lord added.
The DNC didn't immediately respond for comment, but US officials have been sounding the alarm over Huawei's and ZTE's alleged ties to the Chinese government, claiming that both vendors could secretly rig their products to spy on Americans.
Earlier this year, both AT&T and Verizon dropped plans to sell a Huawei phone, reportedly due to pressure from Washington. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has banned the sale of both Huawei and ZTE phones on US military bases, citing security concerns.
In response, Huawei and ZTE have repeatedly denied the spying accusations. "We've been in business for 30 years and Huawei is a trusted and recognized global technology company," a Huawei spokesman previously told PCMag. "We work with 46 of the top 50 global operators and we have never had a single security issue."
The spying accusations against both companies have gone on for years — more so for the potential of Chinese state-sponsored surveillance than over any hard evidence. Why the DNC issued the warning about Huawei and ZTE now isn't totally clear. But it comes two years after the committee's computers were hacked in a high-profile breach that's been blamed on Russian state-sponsored hackers. Last month, the US indicted 12 Russian government officers for the hacking.