Workers at an election office in Louisiana and another in Oklahoma were evacuated this week after packages they opened turned out to hold a powdery substance. By Thursday it was clear those were not isolated cases. The FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating suspicious letters mailed to congressional and state election offices across the country.
What officials have said
The probe first came to light in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The notice told Senate offices that law enforcement was working to intercept further letters but that “it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations.” The FBI said it was looking into “a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices,” and that some contained an unknown substance. Deputy Postal Inspector Brendan Donahue told reporters that “any threat or attack on election officials is unacceptable.” Investigators are trying to identify whoever sent them.
ABC News, citing law enforcement sources, reported preliminary indications of more than 100 letters in the mail system that apparently contain white powder. It also reported that election offices in at least 15 states had received, or been the intended recipient of, suspicious mail as of Thursday evening.
Offices and lawmakers targeted
Ohio’s secretary of state said the Postal Service intercepted a package of white powder meant for his office. Parcels bound for Maryland, Mississippi and South Dakota were also stopped before delivery, officials there said, and states from Idaho to Florida reported receiving or intercepting letters. The Wisconsin Elections Commission said tests showed the white powder in its letter was not hazardous. “Let this be very clear: this incident will not shake us,” elections administrator Meagan Wolfe said.
In Congress, the threat appeared limited to the Senate, though the House was monitoring, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester’s office said Capitol Police intercepted a letter with a “suspicious substance.” Senator Alex Padilla said postal inspectors stopped a package before it reached his office, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said inspectors intercepted a piece of mail addressed to her New York City office. Senator Chris Murphy’s Hartford office was also sent a letter, and a person familiar said one was addressed to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. One envelope shown in the Senate warning was postmarked “DSA” and carried a return address at 75 Maiden Lane in Manhattan, which the Democratic Socialists of America once listed on membership forms. A spokesperson for the group said it has not occupied that address since 2013.
Echoes of earlier attacks
The mailings arrived about three weeks before Election Day. They recall 2023, when election offices in six states received letters containing white powder; some of those carried threats and traces of fentanyl, and some offices stocked up on the overdose-reversal drug naloxone. In 2001, anthrax sent to Senate offices, including that of then-Majority Leader Tom Daschle, killed five people and sickened at least 17.
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement condemning the threats. “Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties,” they said.
Sources
- Authorities investigate letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to congressional, election offices
- FBI, Capitol Police probing letters ‘containing suspicious substances’ mailed with DSA-linked return address
- Feds investigating letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to multiple congressional offices
