Federal authorities are investigating a nationwide wave of suspicious letters containing unknown powders sent to congressional members and state election officials, law enforcement agencies said this week.
The inquiry expanded Friday after an envelope holding white powder was delivered to the Santa Cruz, California, district office of Democratic U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta. Panetta said in a public statement that a staff member discovered the substance during her morning routine of opening constituent mail, the New York Post reported.
Panetta stated that the worker discarded the envelope into a trash can, escorted colleagues outside the building, and called emergency services. Emergency medical personnel evaluated the employees and cleared them, and Panetta said the effort to intimidate his office would not prevent his team from serving California’s 19th Congressional District.
The envelope sent to Panetta was mailed from New York, according to his office. In a related response, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office evacuated a county government facility at 701 Ocean Street following reports of potential hazardous materials, though no injuries occurred, the New York Post reported.
Lawmakers across the country targeted
The FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Capitol Police are coordinating to track the deliveries. A security advisory distributed to Senate offices by the Senate Sergeant at Arms cautioned that while law enforcement was attempting to screen and seize envelopes, some mailings might still reach congressional locations, The Associated Press reported.
The advisory featured a photograph of one suspicious letter postmarked “DSA” with a New York City return address previously used by the Democratic Socialists of America. The political organization stated it had vacated that office in 2013, according to the New York Post.
Several other federal lawmakers have reported intercepted packages or mailings. Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York each had suspicious mail stopped by postal inspectors before delivery, the AP reported. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware confirmed Capitol Police intercepted a letter sent to her office.
Other members of Congress reporting suspicious letters include California Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Kevin Kiley, as well as Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Chris Coons, Chris Murphy, and Mike Rounds, along with Reps. Seth Moulton, Maxwell Frost, Darren Soto, Ritchie Torres, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, the New York Post reported.
Election administrators receive mailings
State election administrators across several states have also been placed on alert just weeks ahead of Election Day. In Alabama, Secretary of State Wes Allen confirmed his Montgomery office received a suspicious package on Thursday afternoon, WSFA reported. Postal inspectors, state police, the FBI, and an Alabama National Guard Civil Support Team responded to the state capitol. Testing confirmed the package contained no dangerous materials, officials told WSFA.
In Nebraska, Secretary of State Robert Evnen said workers detected an unopened envelope fitting the description of the flagged mail on Thursday and immediately isolated it before handing it to the FBI for examination, KOLN reported.
Similar parcels prompted temporary evacuations or postal interceptions in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, and Idaho, according to the AP. In Wisconsin, election administrator Meagan Wolfe confirmed that initial laboratory tests on powder sent to state election offices proved non-hazardous.
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors condemned the acts in a joint statement, asserting that those running elections should never face threats to their safety while executing public responsibilities, the AP reported.
FBI spokesperson Jason Woodruff said investigators are working with partner agencies to test the unknown substances and identify whoever is responsible, WSFA reported. Federal law enforcement has not announced any arrests or publicly identified suspects.
