The FBI and the US Postal Inspection Service said on Thursday that they are investigating suspicious mailings sent to state election officials and to lawmakers’ offices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The FBI said some of the letters contained an unknown substance.
Spokespeople for Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Alex Padilla of California and Chris Murphy of Connecticut said the Postal Service intercepted letters containing a suspicious substance mailed to their offices. The House sergeant at arms told staff that some public officials had received letters containing suspicious white powder substances, and postal inspector Brendan Donahue said some suspicious letters had been intercepted and that the investigation is ongoing.
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors said a series of suspicious letters was sent to state election offices, with letters bound for several offices, including in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Idaho, intercepted before delivery.
No sender, motive or substance identification had been announced when this edition closed. The investigation lands as the Postal Service prepares to handle millions of mailed ballots for an election that will determine control of Congress. Status: investigation announced and ongoing; contents of the mailings not yet identified publicly.