ATLANTA — Suspicious mail containing a white powder substance was sent to election offices in at least 17 states this week, according to ABC News.
Election offices in New York, Tennessee, Wyoming, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Colorado, and Massachusetts received those suspicious packages.
Similar suspicious mail was addressed to offices in Arizona, Georgia, Connecticut, Maryland, and Maine, but investigators intercepted them before they reached their destination.
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The package sent to Colorado “contained white powder and was sent with a return address to the ‘U.S. Traitor Elimination Army,’” the secretary of state’s office said in a statement.
Election offices in Kansas and Wyoming were evacuated on Monday and the ventilation system in the Missouri secretary of state’s office in Jefferson City was briefly shut down as a precaution.
The FBI issued a statement about the incidents:
“The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to election officials in several states. Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and safely collect the letters. 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. 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. We would also like to remind everyone to exercise care in handling mail, especially from unrecognized senders. If you see something suspicious, please contact law enforcement immediately.”
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