FBI Investigates Suspicious Mailings to Congress, Election Offices
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The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of letters containing suspicious substances that were mailed to congressional offices and election offices across the country.
The investigation came to light Thursday, when a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained by The Associated Press said law enforcement was working to intercept more letters and warned that some could still reach their destinations. The threat to Congress appeared limited to the Senate, though the House was monitoring the situation, the AP reported.
A separate warning to House staffers said the letters contained a “suspicious white powder.”
The latest incident came Thursday night in Arizona. Staffers at the Secretary of State’s office opened an envelope containing white powder, prompting an evacuation of the office. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called it a “targeted threat.”
No injuries were reported in Arizona. The substance has not been identified, and it is unclear who sent the envelope. The Arizona Department of Public Safety and the FBI are jointly investigating.
“This is a sobering moment that highlights the reality of election administration in this country today,” Fontes said in a statement. “We will not be scared out of doing our jobs on behalf of the voters of Arizona.”
Election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma were evacuated earlier in the week after similar mailings. Ohio’s secretary of state said the Postal Service intercepted a package containing white powder bound for its office.
The mailings are arriving with the Nov. 3 midterm elections less than three weeks away. The FBI said some of the letters contained an unknown substance and that it is working with law enforcement partners to identify who sent them. No arrests have been announced.
