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Suspicious letters sent to US senators, state election offices ahead of midterms
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Federal authorities are investigating 'potentially hazardous' letters containing 'suspicious substances' sent to congressional and state election offices across the US, the FBI and US Postal Inspection Service said. At least five Democratic senators' offices were targeted, including those of Alex Padilla, Chris Murphy, Kirsten Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer and Lisa Blunt Rochester, with most intercepted before delivery. State offices in Delaware, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Ohio also reported receiving letters containing white powder; Louisiana's office was evacuated but reopened after no harmful substances were found. The mailings come weeks before the US midterm elections, echoing similar security scares ahead of the 2024 election, when vote officials in 17 states received suspicious packages, and a year earlier when fentanyl-laced envelopes were sent to election offices in at least five states.
Source report
By: Grace Eliza Goodwin
Federal authorities say they are investigating "potentially hazardous" letters containing "suspicious substances" that have been sent to congressional and state election offices around the US.
The FBI and the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) said they were trying to trace the "suspicious mailings", some of which were intercepted before they were received.
Authorities declined to say how many offices had been targeted, but several secretaries of state and congressional offices reported receiving the letters.
Coming just weeks before the US midterm elections, it echoes previous security scares involving suspicious mail.
Letters Sent to Senators' Offices
The suspicious letters were sent to at least five Democratic senators' offices, most of which were intercepted before delivery.
They include California's Alex Padilla, Connecticut's Chris Murphy and New York's Kirsten Gillibrand, the senators' offices confirmed to the BBC.
New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Delaware Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester were also sent the suspicious pieces of mail, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.
"This incident is a stark reminder of the very real danger facing those who serve the public and who help administer our elections in the face of increasingly hostile political rhetoric," Padilla said in a statement to the BBC.
State Election Offices Targeted
Several state offices have also received the suspicious mailings.
- Delaware: The Department of Elections said its office received and opened a letter containing a white powdery substance on Thursday, adding that staff followed security protocols on handling suspicious mail.
- Oklahoma: The State Election Board said this week that its office had received a letter containing a white powder.
- Louisiana: The secretary of state's office said this week that it had received a letter containing a white powder. The office was evacuated after a staff member opened the package on Tuesday, but it has since reopened after law enforcement found no evidence of harmful substances.
- Ohio: Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his office was the intended recipient of a letter containing white powder, but the USPIS had intercepted it.
The New York State Capitol in Albany and the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne also received suspicious packages, according to emergency responder scanner feed reviewed by the BBC.
"This FBI and the US Postal Inspection Service will continue to safeguard the public and secure elections for American citizens," the agencies said in a statement on Thursday.
Context
The suspicious mailings come just weeks before election day, which will determine the balance of power in Congress.
Ahead of the 2024 election, vote officials in 17 states received suspicious packages.
A year earlier, suspicious envelopes, some laced with fentanyl, were sent to election offices in at least five states.
Related Topics
- FBI
- United States
- US politics
- Law and order
Source
BBC NewsWestern