Federal agents are probing more than 100 letters packed with white powder sent to Senate offices and election officials in at least 15 states, with some envelopes carrying a return address tied to a far-left group.
Law enforcement is treating the mailings as a coordinated threat. The FBI, U.S. Capitol Police, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are working to intercept the letters and identify who sent them before more reach their targets.
ABC News reported that preliminary information points to over 100 letters circulating in the U.S. mail system that appear to contain white powder. Senate staff received a notice Thursday describing multiple letters with suspicious substances mailed to addresses nationwide, including several congressional offices.
Democratic senators were among those targeted. An intercepted letter went to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Sen. Chris Murphy’s Connecticut district office received one. So did Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s New York City office and Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester’s office.
Gillibrand confirmed the attempt on her staff.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said:
"This afternoon, a suspicious piece of mail was sent to my New York City office and was safely intercepted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service."
She added she was grateful to the postal inspectors for protecting her staff. Murphy’s office struck a similar note.
Sen. Chris Murphy’s office stated:
"Due to those efforts and various safety protocols, the Senator and staff were not in immediate danger. Our office is grateful for the investigators involved in this incident, and we intend to continue close coordination as the investigation continues."
The same wave reached far beyond Capitol Hill. The FBI said it is working with the Postal Inspection Service on a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and related election offices. Those packages also contained an unknown substance.
As of Thursday evening, election offices in at least 15 states reported receiving the mail or being listed as the intended recipient. The timing lands weeks before voters head to the polls, raising the stakes for anyone charged with running clean elections.
Federal investigators have a long record of high-profile political cases, including the Arctic Frost probe that swept up data on hundreds of thousands of Republican voters. This time the target list includes the people and offices that certify ballots.
The FBI made its priorities plain.
An FBI spokesperson said:
"We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to safeguard the public and secure elections for American citizens."
Fox News reported that the FBI informed Sens. Chuck Schumer, Chris Murphy, and Alex Padilla their offices had been targeted. One envelope image showed a return address for the Democratic Socialists of America’s former New York headquarters. The group has denied current ties to the address.
Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for Sen. Murphy, said the office was promptly informed by the FBI, the Senate Sergeant at Arms, and Capitol Police and continues to work closely with them.
Past FBI actions against political figures have drawn sharp scrutiny, from the counterintelligence probe opened on Trump days after Comey’s firing to later special-counsel work. Here the Bureau is chasing physical threats mailed into government buildings.
The New York Post noted that a letter arrived at Murphy’s local office in Hartford and that envelopes bore a return address at 75 Maiden Lane, a site previously associated with the Democratic Socialists of America.
The Senate Sergeant at Arms warned staff that some letters could still make it to congressional offices and urged caution with any mail showing multiple postage markings. The House Sergeant at Arms issued its own alert.
The House notice stated:
"The Office of the Sergeant at Arms (SAA) has been made aware of reports of letters containing suspicious white powder substances received by public officials throughout the United States."
For safety, House offices were told they could forward district mail to the Capitol complex for tougher screening. The Washington Examiner reported that law enforcement is working to intercept additional letters before delivery, though a memo obtained by Politico said some may still reach their intended destinations.
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester’s office confirmed its letter was stopped.
Her office said:
"Senator Blunt Rochester’s office was sent a letter with a suspicious substance. The letter was intercepted by Capitol Police and taken for investigation. Thanks to existing safety protocols and the swift action taken by the officers, neither the Senator nor her staff are in any immediate danger."
Federal raids and probes of elected officials remain a flashpoint in Washington, as when agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar’s D.C. home in an immigration case. Powder letters aimed at senators and election clerks sit in a different category: direct physical risk to the people who keep the government and the ballot box running.
Breitbart reported that the threat inside Congress appeared limited to the Senate, according to the Senate Sergeant at Arms notice. Some letters reached or were intended for Secretary of State and election offices, prompting evacuations in states that included Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Authorities are urging recipients to treat the mailings as potentially hazardous. Lab results on the powder itself have not been released. No injuries, arrests, or charges have been announced. It remains unclear whether the congressional letters and the election-office mailings came from the same sender.
Internal FBI doubts have surfaced before in politically charged searches, including emails showing hesitation over the Mar-a-Lago warrant grounds. This case is simpler on its face: unknown powder, mass mailings, and election infrastructure on the target list.
Postal inspectors and Capitol Police stopped several letters before staff opened them. That is good news for the people who work those offices. It does not answer who is still feeding the mail stream or why election offices in more than a dozen states landed on the same list.
American elections run on trust and physical security. Mailing white powder at the officials who count the votes is an attack on both, and the people behind it need to be found and prosecuted without delay.
