OAN Staff James Meyers
2:53 PM – Tuesday, September 17, 2024
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are now investigating a series of “suspicious” letters, with some containing a mysterious substance, that were sent to election officials across the country, according to the agencies that made the announcement on Tuesday.
The Associated Press reported that the strange letters were sent to a handful of secretaries of state and state election offices in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wyoming, and Iowa, citing officials in the multiple states.
“The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to election officials in several states,” the agencies said in statements to CBS News. “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,” the agencies said. “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.”
Deliveries of the worrying letters comes after the feds and cyber security experts publicly warned state election officials that they could face threats during this 2024 election season.
In a joint memo obtained by NBC News on Monday, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said that “law enforcement is working diligently to intercept any additional letters before they are delivered.”
“The election community should remain vigilant and exercise caution when handling the mail,” the memo said. “All suspicious substances should be treated as potentially hazardous and must be handled in accordance with established safety protocols.”
Additionally, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson stated that she is “receiving threats, whether it’s through voicemails, emails, social media or in person,” according to CBS News.
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