Lawmakers from both parties reported on Friday that their offices across the country had received suspicious packages, following earlier reports of letters containing unknown substances at U.S. election offices.
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and more than 15 House members said their district or state offices were targeted.
Klobuchar said in a social media statement that postal workers and investigators intercepted the letter before it reached her Minnesota office. “Thanks to the postal workers and investigators who identified and intercepted it, no one in our office was in immediate danger,” she wrote. “We’re grateful to everyone involved for their quick response and we will continue working closely with law enforcement as the investigation continues.”
Rounds shared an image of a letter sent to his Sioux Falls office and said his team contacted local authorities, who investigated and evacuated the office. “This situation is deeply concerning and follows a trend of intimidating tactics that impact our team members,” he wrote on social media. “This has no place in our nation. America is better than this.”
California Democratic Reps. Laura Friedman, Jimmy Panetta, Gil Cisneros, and Linda Sánchez all reported receiving suspicious packages at their district offices, with staff members reported safe. Panetta said a staff member at his Santa Cruz office opened an envelope that contained a “suspicious white powder.” “Upon realizing that there was powder in the envelope, she immediately put the envelope in the garbage can, cleared fellow staff members out of the office, and called 911,” Panetta said. “My priority is the safety and security of my staff and, thankfully, she and the other staff have been initially cleared by medical officials.”
In Florida, Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost and Darren Soto reported similar incidents at their Orlando and Kissimmee offices. Soto said his office received “advance notice” from Frost’s office to “monitor our mail.” He added, “We are working with federal, state, and local law enforcement to support an investigation. Political violence has no place in our democracy, and we hope those who perpetrated this crime are brought to justice.”
On Thursday, spokespeople for Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) told NewsNation that authorities had intercepted suspicious packages addressed to their offices. The new reports come just weeks before the midterm elections, and follow similar incidents at election offices in several states before the 2024 presidential election.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), whose district office also received a suspicious package, condemned the timing. “This seemingly deliberate and widespread attack on our democracy and elections is unacceptable,” she wrote on social media.
An FBI spokesperson told The Hill on Thursday that the agency is “working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible” and will “continue to safeguard the public and secure elections for American citizens.” The Hill has reached out to the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police for comment on the latest reports.
