WASHINGTON — Federal authorities are investigating letters with “suspicious substances” that have been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and are urging recipients to treat the mailings as “potentially hazardous.”
Democratic U.S. Reps. Jason Crow of Aurora and Joe Neguse of Lafayette said their offices received letters containing a suspicious substance on Monday.
The investigation by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
The notice, sent to Senate offices, said that law enforcement officials were working to intercept any additional letters, but “it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations.”
In Congress, threat originally appeared limited to the Senate but has since spread to House members.
The office of Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat, said in a statement that it was sent a letter with a “suspicious substance” that was intercepted by Capitol Police. Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California said the Postal Service intercepted a suspicious package before it reached his office. And Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious piece of mail addressed to her New York City office.
Crow said his office received a suspicious letter Monday.
“My staff is safe, and our district office remains open for those who need assistance. Attempts to intimidate me or my team will not stop our work on behalf of Coloradans,” he said in a written statement. “I want to thank the FBI, U.S. Capitol Police, Aurora Police Department, and other law enforcement for swiftly working to investigate this matter and keeping everyone safe.”
Neguse said his office received the letter Monday, too.
“The nature of this mailing, and others like it being received by elected officials across the country, whether to cause physical harm or to provoke unease among public servants, will not prevent me and and my teams from working day in and day out to serve the people of Colorado’s 2nd District,” Neguse said in a written statement.
U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, said her office got a letter on Monday containing a suspicious substance, too.
Democratic U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado said postal investigators intercepted a suspicious letter addressed to his Denver office.
“We’re grateful to federal authorities for their work to protect our staff and others who have been targeted,” Hickenlooper said in a written statement Monday. Violence and intimidation have no place in our politics. Not now, not ever.”
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.”
“Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident,” the statement read. “We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters.”
Mailed 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 and noted that similar mailings had been sent to election officials in multiple states. Numerous states, from Idaho to Florida, said their election offices either received letters or had them intercepted by the Postal Service.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission said in a statement that it received a letter and the white powder enclosed in it was not hazardous, according to tests. “Let this be very clear: this incident will not shake us,” Wisconsin elections administrator Meagan Wolfe said.
News of the letters comes just three weeks before Election Day and is reminiscent of a similar threat in 2023, when election offices in six states received mailings that contained a white powder. In some cases, the incidents disrupted work around local elections.
Some of those letters contained threats and traces of the powerful opioid fentanyl, leading some election offices to stock up on the overdose reversal medication naloxone.
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement condemning what they said were threats against election staff.
“Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties,” they said in their statement.
Deputy Postal Inspector Brendan Donahue told reporters Thursday that “any threat or attack on election officials is unacceptable” and that “we are also working with our partners on identifying the individual or individuals responsible for the letters.”
Associated Press reporters Lisa Mascaro and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report, as did Colorado Sun reporter Jesse Paul.