Federal investigators are looking into “a series of suspicious mailings” sent to election offices across the country, the FBI said on Oct. 15.
The FBI told The Epoch Times the mailings were sent to various addresses nationwide, including secretary of state offices and related election offices.
The agency was not confirming the number of mailings intercepted, a spokesperson said.
“Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The FBI is partnering with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and law enforcement partners to identify the person or people responsible for sending the letters, according to the spokesperson.
The mailings were allegedly sent as state election offices were busy preparing for midterm elections and mailing out ballots.
Four Republican election officials have so far reported they were the intended recipients of the suspicious mail.
Mailed packages containing a powdery substance prompted evacuations in Louisiana and Oklahoma this week.
Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry’s office was evacuated and closed Tuesday after an election employee opened a package and found a white powder, the department announced on social media.
The office resumed normal business Wednesday.
“Law enforcement responded to [Tuesday’s] incident and conducted tests that found no evidence of harmful substances,” Landry’s office said.
In Oklahoma, the state election board received an envelope containing a suspicious white powder Tuesday. Police were called and the office was evacuated, the board said in a statement.
No one was harmed in the incident, according to State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose confirmed Wednesday his office had been an intended recipient of one of the mailings but the letter was intercepted by federal investigators.
“We have a duty to the citizens of Ohio to deliver secure and accessible elections, and these kinds of cowardly threats will not deter us from that mission,” LaRose posted on X.
LaRose said he has informed the state’s county boards of elections to be vigilant in the coming days.
“Election officials should never have to fear for their personal safety while performing their duties, and there is no place in a peaceful democracy for violence, threats or acts of intimidation,” LaRose said in a statement.
The state has security protocols and contingency plans for every election, his office said.
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson’s office was also an intended target of the mailings, according to his spokeswoman Liz Jonson.
The letter was intercepted by postal service and federal investigators before it reached the office, Jonson said in a statement to media outlets.
In a similar incident before the 2024 general elections, election officials in six states reported receiving envelopes with powdery substances. Investigators tested the substances and found no hazardous materials.
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