Suspicious Letters With White Powder Sent to Election Offices Nationwide
Federal authorities are investigating a wave of suspicious letters, some containing a white powdery substance, that were mailed to election offices across the country and to at least one U.S. senator less than three weeks before Election Day.
The FBI said Wednesday night that it is looking into "a series of suspicious mailings" sent to "various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices." The agency said "some of the letters contained an unknown substance," CNN reported.
Offices Evacuated in Two States
Election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma were evacuated Tuesday after receiving envelopes containing white powder. Employees were moved out of both buildings while law enforcement responded.
In Louisiana, an Elections Division employee in the secretary of state's office opened a package containing the powder. Secretary of State Nancy Landry later said, "Law enforcement responded to today's incident and conducted tests that found no evidence of harmful substances," according to CBS News.
The Oklahoma State Election Board received a similar envelope Tuesday morning. Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said no one was hurt and that law enforcement is investigating.
In Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his office was the "intended recipient" of a suspicious letter, but the Postal Service intercepted it before it arrived.
Letters Reach Capitol Hill
The mailings also reached Congress. The Senate sergeant at arms warned staff about the investigation and urged them to treat the letters as "potentially hazardous," the Associated Press reported. In Congress, the issue appeared to be limited to the Senate, while the House was monitoring the situation.
The office of Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, was among those targeted. Spokesman Josh Sorbe said the office "was promptly informed of the letter by FBI, SAA, and Capitol Police," and that "the Senator and staff were not in immediate danger" thanks to "various safety protocols." He said the office is working with federal law enforcement on the investigation.
No injuries have been reported in any of the incidents.
Investigators Search for a Sender
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are leading the investigation, with help from the U.S. Capitol Police. The FBI said it is working with its partners to respond to each incident and "to identify the individual or individuals responsible."
"We are committed to protecting our nation's election officials from threatening and dangerous mail," said Brendan Donahue, deputy chief inspector of the Postal Inspection Service. "Any threat or attack on an election official is unacceptable." He said federal partners would bring "all of our resources to bear" on the case. He declined to say how many letters have been found or whether they are connected, citing the ongoing investigation.
Authorities have not publicly identified the substances in most of the letters or described any messages inside them.
A Familiar Threat
This is not the first time election workers have been targeted by mail. In 2023, several election offices received envelopes containing fentanyl, according to the AP. Weeks before the 2024 presidential election, powder-filled packages were sent to election officials in at least six states, CNN reported.
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors said they were "deeply concerned." In a joint statement, they said, "Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties."
John Cohen, a former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, called the threat "rapidly evolving, dynamic, technologically enabled and dangerous." But he added that "state and local officials are better prepared than ever to address these threats."
The midterm elections are set for November 3.
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