FBI Investigating After Election Officers Obtain Suspicious Packages

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on Tuesday have been investigating the origin of suspicious packages which have been despatched to or obtained by elections officers in additional than 15 states, however there have been no fast experiences of accidents or that any of the packages contained hazardous materials.

The most recent packages have been despatched to elections officers in Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Rhode Island. Mississippi authorities reported a bundle was delivered there Monday, and the Connecticut Secretary of State’s workplace stated the FBI alerted it of a bundle that was intercepted.

The FBI is gathering the packages, a few of which contained “an unknown substance,” company spokesperson Kristen Setera in Boston stated in a press release.

“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,” she stated. “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.”

It’s the second time prior to now 12 months that suspicious packages have been mailed to election officers in a number of states.

The most recent scare comes as early voting has begun in a number of states forward of the high-stakes elections for president, Senate, Congress and key statehouse workplaces, inflicting disruption in an already tense voting season. Native election administrators are beefing up safety to maintain staff and polling locations protected whereas additionally making certain that ballots and voting procedures gained’t be tampered with.

The Nationwide Affiliation of Secretaries of State condemned what it described as a “disturbing trend” of threats to election staff main as much as Nov. 5, in addition to the second obvious assassination try on former President Donald Trump.

“This must stop, period,” the group stated. “Our democracy has no place for political violence, threats or intimidation of any kind.”

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Workplace stated a bundle containing white powder and with the sender listed as “U.S. Traitor Elimination Army” was intercepted at a mail facility. It stated the bundle was just like these despatched to different states and that early indications recommend the powder was innocent.

On Tuesday, the FBI notified the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s workplace that postal service investigators had recognized a suspicious envelope delivered to a constructing housing state workplaces. The bundle was intercepted.

Packages additionally have been despatched to secretaries of state and election workplaces in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming this week. The packages pressured evacuations in Iowa, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Hazmat crews rapidly decided the fabric was innocent.

The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Elections Division stated it obtained a bundle just like these despatched to different states and that the state Division of Homeland Safety was testing it. The division stated it has notified county election officers to be looking out.

Oklahoma officers stated the fabric despatched to the election workplace there contained flour.

“We have specific protocols in place for situations such as this,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate stated in a press release after the evacuation of the six-story Lucas State Workplace Constructing in Des Moines.

A state workplace constructing in Topeka, Kansas, was evacuated as a consequence of suspicious mail despatched to each the secretary of state and lawyer normal, Kansas Freeway Patrol spokesperson April M. McCollum stated in a press release.

Topeka Fireplace Division crews discovered a number of items of mail with an unknown substance on them, although a subject take a look at discovered no hazardous supplies, spokesperson Rosie Nichols stated. A number of staff have been uncovered to it and have been being monitored.

In Oklahoma, the State Election Board obtained a suspicious envelope within the mail containing a multi-page doc and a white, powdery substance, company spokesperson Misha Mohr stated. Testing decided the substance was flour.

State staff in an workplace constructing subsequent to the Wyoming Capitol in Cheyenne have been despatched dwelling Monday pending testing of a white substance mailed to the secretary of state’s workplace.

Suspicious letters have been despatched to election workplaces and authorities buildings in a minimum of six states final November, together with the identical constructing in Kansas that obtained suspicious mail Monday. Whereas a few of the letters contained fentanyl, even the suspicious mail that was not poisonous delayed the counting of ballots in some native elections.

One of many focused workplaces was in Fulton County, Georgia, the most important voting jurisdiction in one of many nation’s most vital swing states. 4 county election workplaces in Washington state needed to be evacuated as election staff have been processing ballots forged, delaying vote-counting.

The letters triggered election staff across the nation to fill up the overdose reversal remedy naloxone.

Election workplaces throughout america have taken steps to extend safety amid an onslaught of harassment and threats following the 2020 election and the false claims that it was rigged.

LeBlanc reported from Boston. Christina Almeida Cassidy in Atlanta; Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York; Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut; Jim Salter in O’Fallon, Missouri; Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Sean Murphy in Oklahoma Metropolis and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report.