Nation · National
FBI and Postal Inspectors Probe Suspicious Letters Sent to State Election Offices and Lawmakers Nationwide
Federal investigators are examining letters, some holding white powder, mailed to election offices in at least eight states and to congressional offices less than three weeks before the midterm elections.
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What happened
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating suspicious letters mailed to state election officials and congressional offices around the country, CBS News reported. Brendan Donahue, deputy chief inspector at the Postal Inspection Service, told reporters Thursday that some of the letters contained an unknown substance and went to addresses nationwide, including secretary of state and election offices.
According to CBS News, most of the letters aimed at Capitol Hill offices were intercepted before delivery. Where officials described test results, they said the powder was not harmful. The mailings come less than three weeks before the midterm elections, which are a focus of our election coverage.
Who received the letters
Senate offices
CBS News reported that at least seven Democratic Senate offices were sent letters, including the office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Offices for Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Chris Coons of Delaware, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Alex Padilla of California also reported letters.
A Blunt Rochester spokesperson said one of her state offices received a letter with white powder, and it was not opened there. A Gillibrand aide said her letter was found at her New York City office. Offices for Padilla and Alsobrooks said their letters were intercepted by the Postal Service.
On Friday, Republican Sens. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska said they also received suspicious letters. Ricketts said law enforcement confirmed the powdery substance sent to his Omaha office was not harmful. Rounds said his Sioux Falls office was evacuated.
A House office in the Bronx
Six workers in Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres' Bronx office were exposed to white powder from a letter on Friday, and the substance was found to be harmless, CBS News reported. Torres said the envelope's address indicated it came from San Antonio, Texas, and his team gave it to the FBI. A House sergeant at arms notice sent Thursday had said no House members were known to be targeted.
State election offices
Top election officials in at least eight states reported suspicious packages in recent days. Delaware's Department of Elections said staff opened a letter Thursday that held a white powdery substance and followed security and USPS handling instructions. Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said an Elections Division employee opened a package with white powder Tuesday, and tests found no evidence of harmful substances.
The Oklahoma State Election Board evacuated its office Tuesday after receiving an envelope with white powder, and secretary Paul Ziriax said no one was hurt. The Wisconsin Elections Commission said field testing of a mail piece it received Wednesday found no hazardous material. Secretaries of state in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Hampshire, Ohio and Mississippi said mail sent to them was intercepted before it arrived.
What investigators are saying
Donahue said federal officials are working to identify who is responsible and have intercepted some of the letters. He declined to give an exact number of incidents or discuss possible connections, citing the ongoing investigation. "Any threat or attack on an election official is unacceptable," Donahue said, according to CBS News.
The Senate sergeant at arms also notified congressional staff about the investigation, CBS News reported. Josh Sorbe, a spokesman for Murphy, said safety protocols and work by federal and Capitol law enforcement meant the senator and staff "were not in immediate danger."
Similar mailings in 2024
CBS News noted that federal investigators also looked into a series of suspicious letters sent ahead of the 2024 elections. The current mailings reached both election administrators and lawmakers from both parties within a span of several days.
What to watch next
- Whether the FBI and Postal Inspection Service identify the people responsible for the mailings.
- Whether investigators release the total number of letters or say if the incidents are connected, which Donahue declined to discuss.
- Results of the FBI review of the letter from Torres' office and the postal inspectors' investigation at Gillibrand's office.
- Any further reports of suspicious mail to election offices as the midterm elections approach.
