Suspicious Letters Probe: FBI Warns Senate, Election Offices
The Trump-era midterm season took a tense turn Thursday as the suspicious letters probe widened: federal authorities confirmed they are investigating mailings containing unknown substances sent to Senate and election offices across the United States, urging staff to treat unexpected mail as potentially hazardous.
The FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Capitol Police are running the investigation, which was disclosed in a notice from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained by the Associated Press. The notice said law enforcement was working to intercept more letters while warning that some could still reach their destinations.
Senate Warned as Federal Probe Widens
In Congress, the threat appeared limited to the Senate, with the House monitoring the situation, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly.
An FBI statement said the bureau and the Postal Inspection Service were investigating “a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices,” adding that some letters contained an unknown substance and that agents were working to identify the people responsible. A spokesperson for Sen. Chris Murphy confirmed one of the letters arrived at his local office in Hartford.
Election Offices Evacuated, Mail Intercepted
Packages containing a powdery substance led to the evacuation this week of election offices in at least two states, Louisiana and Oklahoma. The Ohio secretary of state said the Postal Service intercepted a package containing a white powder intended for its office, noting that similar mailings had gone to election officials in multiple states.
Officials in Maryland, Mississippi and South Dakota said Thursday that their election offices had also been targeted, but that the letters were intercepted by the Postal Service before delivery.
Echoes of the 2023 Fentanyl Threats
The mailings come about three weeks before Election Day and recall a similar scare in 2023, when several election offices received envelopes containing the powerful opioid fentanyl. The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement condemning the threats, saying those who run elections should never fear for their safety while doing their jobs.
Source: AP News