The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating suspicious packages containing a mysterious substance that were sent to election officials across more than 16 states, an agency spokesperson has said.
We are also working with our partners to determine how many letters were sent, the individual or individuals responsible for the letters, and the motive behind the letters, said Kristen Setera, adding that as this is an ongoing matter we will not be commenting further on the investigation, but the public can be assured safety is our top priority.
The latest packages were sent to elections officials in Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Rhode Island. Mississippi authorities reported a package was delivered there Monday, and the Connecticut Secretary of States office said the FBI alerted it of a package that was intercepted.
The Colorado Secretary of States Office said a package containing white powder and with the sender listed as U.S. Traitor Elimination Army was intercepted at a mail facility. It said the package was similar to those sent to other states and that early indications suggest the powder was harmless.
The Mississippi Secretary of States Elections Division said it received a package similar to those sent to other states and that the state Department of Homeland Security was testing it. The division said it has notified county election officials to be on the lookout.
A hazmat crew from the National Guards Civilian Support Team investigates after a suspicious package was delivered to election officials at the Missouri Secretary of States Jefferson City, Mo., office on Tuesday Sept. 17, 2024
The Oklahoma State Election Board Office inside the state Capitol in Oklahoma City, was one of at least five states in the U.S. which received suspicious packages on Monday
The Oklahoma State Election Board Office inside the state Capitol in Oklahoma City, was one of at least five states in the U.S. which election officials received suspicious packages
In Oklahoma, the State Election Board received a suspicious envelope in the mail containing a multi-page document and a white, powdery substance, agency spokesperson Misha Mohr said. Testing determined the substance was flour.
Packages also were sent to secretaries of state and election offices in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming this week. The packages forced evacuations in Iowa, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Hazmat crews quickly determined the material was harmless.
Its the second time in the past year that suspicious packages were mailed to election officials in multiple states.
The latest scare comes as early voting has begun in several states ahead of the high-stakes elections for president, Senate, Congress and key statehouse offices, causing disruption in an already tense voting season.
Local election directors are beefing up security to keep workers and polling places safe while also ensuring that ballots and voting procedures wont be tampered with.
The National Association of Secretaries of State condemned what it described as a disturbing trend of threats to election workers leading up to Nov. 5, as well as the second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
This must stop, period, the group said. Our democracy has no place for political violence, threats or intimidation of any kind.
Suspicious letters were sent to election offices and government buildings in at least six states last November.
This comes just days after agents opened fire on 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who eagle-eyed officers spotted pointing a rifle through a fence lining Trumps private golf club in West Palm Beach
Ryan Wesley Routh following his arrest in Martin County, Florida, on September 15
While some of the letters contained fentanyl, even the suspicious mail that was not toxic delayed the counting of ballots in some local elections.
One of the targeted offices was in Fulton County, Georgia, the largest voting jurisdiction in one of the nations most important swing states. Four county election offices in Washington state had to be evacuated as election workers were processing ballots cast, delaying vote-counting.
The letters caused election workers around the country to stock up the overdose reversal medication naloxone.
Election offices across the United States have taken steps to increase security amid an onslaught of harassment and threats following the 2020 election and the false claims that it was rigged.
Last year, the US embassy in London went into a state of lockdown after a suspicious package was delivered outside the building.
Those inside were told to duck and move away from windows with photos shares online showing people crouching on the floor and sitting back against the walls.
This comes just days after agents opened fire on 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who eagle-eyed officers spotted pointing a rifle through a fence lining Trumps private golf club in West Palm Beach a few hundred yards away from the president.
While the Secret Service has been praised for its swift action in foiling the attempted attack on the presidential nominee, Trumps allies have said further measures have to be taken to protect him, with Republicans demanding that Trump receive the same security as President Joe Biden.
Trumps detail was beefed up significantly in the wake of another attempt on the former-presidents life back in July, in Butler, Pennsylvania, with the secret service even pulling agents from President Bidens detail to bolster that of Trumps.
However, the fact that the gunman was able to get within 300 to 500 yards of Trump on Sunday has highlighted that issues exposed by the July shooting still need to be addressed, and the challenging task faced by Secret Service to protect him.