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* Subscribers were told about this early this morning. CNN…
Suspicious packages were sent this week to election offices in more than 20 states, leading to an FBI investigation, triggering evacuations and rattling staff, according to a CNN survey of state offices and Associated Press reporting.
The threatening envelopes arrived as election officials across the country prepare for Saturday’s deadline to send the first ballots to overseas and military voters and as states are weeks away from the widespread start of in-person early voting and mail-in balloting.
According to CNN and AP reporting, suspicious envelopes were received by election officials, or intercepted on the way to officials in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. […]
Officials in Kansas and New York said in statements and interviews that, after the letters were noticed, they evacuated their offices. There are some early indications that at least some of the letters did not actually contain any dangerous chemicals or substances.
Oklahoma officials said testing by a local hazmat team “identified the substance as wheat cereal” or “flour.” David Becker, who runs the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research and advises election officials across the country, said Tuesday that some his contacts in the states told him that “the powder appears to be innocuous.”
* Add Illinois to the list. SJ-R…
The FBI responded to the Illinois State Board of Elections building in Springfield after a suspicious package was found. […]
“We were expecting to get something like this, based on the fact that so many other state election offices around the country had already received them this week, so we were on the lookout for it,” [Illinois Board of Elections Spokesperson Matthew Dietrich] said. “We knew if anything halfway suspicious came in, we knew not to open it, so when it arrived, we did not open it.” […]
About 20 people were inside the building when the package arrived and everyone evacuated. […]
Public Affairs Officer for FBI Springfield, Becky Cramblit, provided the following statement:
“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.”
This morning ISBE spokesperson Matt Dietrich said he had no updates, “It’s the FBI’s case now.”
posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 9:45 am
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Yeah. The way to ensure “secure elections” is to terrorize elections officials. Maybe Trump will pardon these idiots too if he gets into office.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 9:57 am
Cowards acting cowardly. I hope the FBI and SBI can trackdown the evil-doers who are orchestrating this effort.
Comment by H-W Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 10:11 am
I really hope these people who use mail as a terrorist threat to schools, libraries and other government offices are found and sent away for a very long time. Perhaps laws and more important punishments need to be enhanced. Mandatory time
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 10:39 am
I appreciate that 90% of people who will read the headline will just assume that of course it was a crazy right winger. We’ve just gotten desensitized to the fact that one major party’s base includes almost the entirety of American home grown terrorists.
Comment by Homebody Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 11:00 am
=The way to ensure “secure elections” is to terrorize elections officials. Maybe Trump will pardon these idiots too if he gets into office.=
1) no motive has been released.
2) red states were targeted as well, making this sound like the work of somebody who hates the government in general.
3) remember Gabrielle Williams and the bomb threats she made? not a Trump supporter.
I often agree with your posts. You should ask to have this one deleted. You’re spreading anger and division based on personal assumptions.
Comment by Just a Random Guy Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 11:44 am
==Perhaps laws and more important punishments need to be enhanced. Mandatory time==
Please explain why the current criminal punishments for these acts (if you even know what they are, which I would bet money you don’t) are the problem, and the evidence that enacting a policy of “more important punishments” and “mandatory time” (whatever it is you mean by that) would be expected to reduce the number and/or severity of incidents.
Comment by charles in charge Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 11:56 am
===red states were targeted as well, making this sound like the work of somebody who hates the government in general.
So close to putting that thought together. Yes, there is one party that is attacking government at all levels. The Millers and Bailey are perfect examples. Political violence can come from both parties, but one is encouraging it.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 11:59 am
== and the evidence that enacting a policy of “more important punishments” and “mandatory time” (whatever it is you mean by that) would be expected to reduce the number and/or severity of incidents.==
Sometimes its just about punishment. It would be good to figure out a way to reduce these sorts of acts but I’m perfectly fine with increasing punishments for this type of activity.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 12:18 pm
==red states were targeted as well==
Those attacking elections don’t have a loyalty to red states. They think elections are rigged no matter whether the state is red or blue.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 12:19 pm
===I’m perfectly fine with increasing punishments for this type of activity.
I would argue for more resources to track down these sort of crimes more than anything as certainty of being caught is more likely to be a deterrent than anything from nearly all the literature.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 2:01 pm
“red states were targeted as well, making this sound like the work of somebody who hates the government in general”
And who has spent a generation fanning the flames of hatred for “government in general”?
Hint: It was not the Left.
In Mary Shelly’s classic, Dr. Frankenstein was terrorized by the monster. But his being targeted didn’t in any way absolve him from responsibility for creating that monster.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 2:58 pm
==Sometimes its just about punishment. It would be good to figure out a way to reduce these sorts of acts but I’m perfectly fine with increasing punishments for this type of activity.==
Do you even know what the current punishments are? Or you just want “more,” whatever they may be? Why? To what end, if not to reduce the unlawful behavior?
Comment by charles in charge Monday, Sep 23, 24 @ 3:43 pm