Politics
Suspicious mailings reach Massachusetts election office and Rep. Seth Moulton’s Salem office
Federal authorities are investigating two suspicious mail deliveries in Massachusetts amid a nationwide wave of letters sent to election and congressional offices. State officials said the envelope sent to the Elections Division was intercepted before it was opened, and the office’s work continued without interruption.
Federal authorities are investigating suspicious mail received Friday, Oct. 16, by the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office and the Salem office of U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, as similar letters are reported at election and congressional offices around the country.
Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said an envelope addressed to the Elections Division matched descriptions of mailings reported elsewhere. His staff identified it before it reached the division and did not open it. The envelope was turned over to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is under federal investigation, Galvin said.
Galvin said his office contacted state and federal authorities immediately. He thanked the Massachusetts State Police, FBI and Postal Inspection Service for their response, adding that the Elections Division’s work was not interrupted and staff remain focused on administering the upcoming election.
Salem police said officers responded Friday morning to Moulton’s office at 21 Front St. after a suspicious parcel arrived through the mail. The package contained an unidentified powdery substance, police said. Law enforcement secured and removed it, and the material is being analyzed at the State Crime Lab.
Police said the Salem incident resembled recent reports of suspicious packages sent to election and congressional offices nationwide. The FBI and Postal Inspection Service have said they are investigating a series of mailings and working to identify whoever sent them. Authorities have urged recipients to treat the letters as potentially hazardous.
The Massachusetts cases are the first confirmed instances of the suspicious letters in the state. Officials in New Hampshire said they had been alerted to suspicious mail received by some offices there, while Connecticut lawmakers’ offices have also been targeted.
The investigations put election administrators and public offices on alert as Massachusetts prepares for its upcoming election. Galvin said the intercepted envelope did not disrupt election work.