Politics
Suspicious mail targets Arizona congressional offices as federal probe expands
Three Arizona Democratic representatives say suspicious letters were sent to their offices, including one intercepted before delivery in Mesa. The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating, following a separate white-powder incident at the state Capitol last week.
PHOENIX — Suspicious letters sent to the offices of three Arizona Democratic members of Congress have prompted an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the lawmakers said Monday, Oct. 19.
In a joint statement, Reps. Greg Stanton, Yassamin Ansari and Adelita Grijalva said letters were sent to former office addresses for Ansari and Grijalva. A separate letter addressed to Stanton’s Mesa office was intercepted before it could be delivered.
The reports come after a clerk in Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ office opened a letter containing white powder last week, leading officials to evacuate the Executive Tower at the state Capitol. Investigators later determined the powder was not hazardous.
Similar letters, some containing unidentified substances, have also been mailed to elected officials elsewhere in the country, the lawmakers said. Authorities have not disclosed who sent the letters or whether the incidents are connected.
“We’re grateful to law enforcement for acting quickly and keeping our staff and communities safe,” the representatives said. They added that they would not be intimidated and would continue their work for Arizonans.