Feds investigating ‘suspicious’ letter sent to Chicago election office
The FBI is investigating a suspicious envelope that was sent to the Illinois State Board of Elections Chicago office on Thursday — one of dozens of letters that were distributed to congressional offices and state election offices across the country ahead of the November election.
The Illinois State Board of Elections on Thursday evening said the Chicago office received a “suspicious envelope,” spokesman Matt Dietrich said.
“We evacuated the office and notified law enforcement immediately,” Dietrich said in an email. “The FBI now has the envelope and our office will be open as usual tomorrow.”
A similar suspicious envelope containing baking powder was delivered to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ downtown office at 118 N. Clark St. Thursday morning.
Packages containing a powdery substance led to the evacuation this week of election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma. The Ohio secretary of state said the Postal Service intercepted a package containing a white powder and said similar mailings had been sent to election officials in multiple states.
Several states, including Idaho and Florida, said their election offices either received letters or had them intercepted, according to the Associated Press.
Some of the letters contained threats and traces of fentanyl — leading some election offices to stock up on the overdose reversal medication naloxone, the AP reported.
The investigation by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The notice, sent to Senate offices, said that law enforcement officials were working to intercept any additional letters, but “it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations.”
The suspicious letters come just three weeks before Election Day. Early voting in Illinois began on Sept. 24.
