The FBI is investigating suspicious packages sent to election officials in more than 15 states

Summer Ballentine and Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri (AP) — The FBI and nan U.S. Postal Inspection Service connected Tuesday were investigating nan root of suspicious packages that person been sent to aliases received by elections officials successful much than 15 states, but location were nary contiguous reports of injuries aliases that immoderate of nan packages contained hazardous material.

The latest packages were sent to elections officials successful Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Rhode Island. Mississippi authorities reported a package was delivered location Monday, and nan Connecticut Secretary of State’s agency said nan FBI alerted it of a package that was intercepted.

The FBI is collecting nan packages, immoderate of which contained “an chartless substance,” agency spokesperson Kristen Setera successful Boston said successful a statement.

“We are besides moving pinch our partners to find really galore letters were sent, nan individual aliases individuals responsible for nan letters, and nan motive down nan letters,” she said. “As this is an ongoing matter we will not beryllium commenting further connected nan investigation, but nan nationalist tin beryllium assured information is our apical priority.”

It’s nan 2nd clip successful nan past twelvemonth that suspicious packages were mailed to predetermination officials successful aggregate states.

The latest scare comes arsenic early voting has begun successful respective states up of nan high-stakes elections for president, Senate, Congress and cardinal statehouse offices, causing disruption successful an already tense voting season. Local predetermination board are beefing up information to support workers and polling places safe while besides ensuring that ballots and voting procedures won’t beryllium tampered with.

The National Association of Secretaries of State condemned what it described arsenic a “disturbing trend” of threats to predetermination workers starring up to Nov. 5, arsenic good arsenic nan 2nd evident assassination effort connected erstwhile President Donald Trump.

“This must stop, period,” nan group said. “Our populist has nary spot for governmental violence, threats aliases intimidation of immoderate kind.”

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said a package containing achromatic powder and pinch nan sender listed arsenic “U.S. Traitor Elimination Army” was intercepted astatine a message facility. It said nan package was akin to those sent to different states and that early indications propose nan powder was harmless.

On Tuesday, nan FBI notified nan Massachusetts Secretary of nan Commonwealth’s agency that postal work investigators had identified a suspicious letter cover delivered to a building lodging authorities offices. The package was intercepted.

Packages besides were sent to secretaries of authorities and predetermination offices successful Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming this week. The packages forced evacuations successful Iowa, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Hazmat crews quickly wished nan worldly was harmless.

The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Elections Division said it received a package akin to those sent to different states and that nan authorities Department of Homeland Security was testing it. The section said it has notified region predetermination officials to beryllium connected nan lookout.

Oklahoma officials said nan worldly sent to nan predetermination agency location contained flour.

“We person circumstantial protocols successful spot for situations specified arsenic this,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said successful a connection aft nan removal of nan six-story Lucas State Office Building successful Des Moines.

A authorities agency building successful Topeka, Kansas, was evacuated owed to suspicious message sent to some nan caput of authorities and lawyer general, Kansas Highway Patrol spokesperson April M. McCollum said successful a statement.

Topeka Fire Department crews recovered respective pieces of message pinch an chartless constituent connected them, though a section trial recovered nary hazardous materials, spokesperson Rosie Nichols said. Several labor were exposed to it and were being monitored.

In Oklahoma, nan State Election Board received a suspicious letter cover successful nan message containing a multi-page archive and a white, powdery substance, agency spokesperson Misha Mohr said. Testing wished nan constituent was flour.

State workers successful an agency building adjacent to nan Wyoming Capitol successful Cheyenne were sent location Monday pending testing of a achromatic constituent mailed to nan caput of state’s office.

Suspicious letters were sent to predetermination offices and authorities buildings successful astatine slightest six states past November, including nan aforesaid building successful Kansas that received suspicious message Monday. While immoderate of nan letters contained fentanyl, moreover nan suspicious message that was not toxic delayed nan counting of ballots successful immoderate section elections.

One of nan targeted offices was successful Fulton County, Georgia, nan largest voting jurisdiction successful 1 of nan nation’s astir important plaything states. Four region predetermination offices successful Washington authorities had to beryllium evacuated arsenic predetermination workers were processing ballots cast, delaying vote-counting.

The letters caused predetermination workers astir nan state to banal up nan overdose reversal medicine naloxone.

Election offices crossed nan United States person taken steps to summation information amid an onslaught of harassment and threats pursuing nan 2020 predetermination and nan mendacious claims that it was rigged.