FBI Investigates Suspicious Letters With Unknown Substances Mailed to Congressional and Election Offices Nationwide
WASHINGTON — Federal authorities are investigating a series of letters containing suspicious substances that were mailed to congressional offices and state election offices across the country, according to The Associated Press. The FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating, and the Senate Sergeant at Arms has advised Senate offices to treat the mailings as "potentially hazardous." The notice said law enforcement officials were working to intercept additional letters, but that "it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations."
In a statement, the FBI said it 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 of the letters contained an unknown substance and that investigators were working with law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and identify those responsible.
Election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma were evacuated this week after receiving packages containing a powdery substance. The Oklahoma State Election Board received an envelope with suspicious white powder on Tuesday and evacuated its office; its secretary, Paul Ziriax, said no staff members were harmed and that the incident would not affect the state's ability to conduct elections. Louisiana media reported that an election office employee there was taken to a hospital as a precaution after opening a package with white powder and was not injured. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said the Postal Service had intercepted a package containing white powder addressed to his office, noting that similar mailings had been sent to election officials in multiple states.
In Congress, the threat appeared limited to the Senate for now, while the House was monitoring the situation, the AP reported. A spokesperson for Senator Alex Padilla of California said the FBI had notified his office that the Postal Service intercepted a letter containing a suspicious substance mailed to one of Padilla's offices. Brendan Donahue, a deputy chief inspector with the Postal Inspection Service, told reporters that some letters had been intercepted and the investigation was ongoing.
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement condemning the threats against election staff, saying those who administer elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their duties. The mailings come about three weeks before the November 3 midterm elections and echo a 2023 incident in which election offices in several states received envelopes containing fentanyl. As of Thursday, authorities had not publicly identified the substance in the letters, announced a motive or named a suspect, and no injuries had been reported.
Related: America's Electoral System (4): The Midterms: What Is on the Ballot on November 3, 2026
Related: Classified Election-Threat Briefing for State Officials Scrapped After Video Failure, CNN Reports
Related: Oklahoma State Election Board Office Evacuated After Envelope Containing White Powder Found
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿特区的联邦调查局总部胡佛大楼（资料图）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，Ajay Suresh 摄于2024年6月21日，CC BY 2.0 授权 / Photo: The J. Edgar Hoover Building, FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. (file photo). Source: Wikimedia Commons, by Ajay Suresh, June 21, 2024, CC BY 2.0.
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