Federal and Kansas state law enforcement agents are investigating dozens of strange letters sent to Republican lawmakers that contained white powder.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported that more than 30 letters were sent to Republican representatives and senators in Kansas.
At the time of this writing, no one has been harmed by the suspicious powder and the powder is currently being tested in a lab to see if it’s harmful.
Officials noted that no letters were sent to any Democrats.
⚠️BREAKING: FBI investigating after over 30 letters containing questionable white powder were sent to officials and lawmakers throughout Kansas
— Breaking News (@NewsJunkieBreak) June 16, 2023
BREAKING: More than 30 letters containing suspicious white powder sent to lawmakers and other officials across Kansas. FBI investigating pic.twitter.com/5p0HDcUWVn
— BNO News (@BNONews) June 16, 2023
The Kansas Reflector broke the story:
Federal and state law enforcement and health officials are investigating letters containing suspicious white powder that were sent to legislators and state agencies.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation confirmed a multi-agency response Friday after more than 30 of the letters were reported across the state. No injuries have been reported in connection with the letters, the agency said.
The Kansas City Star and Topeka Capital-Journal reported that Republicans in the Kansas House and Senate had received the letters. Spokeswomen for the House and Senate Democrats told Kansas Reflector they weren’t aware of any Democrats who had received a letter.
Tom Day, director of legislative administrative services, alerted lawmakers to the potential threat in an email Friday. Day said the letters were being received by legislators at their homes, and one was delivered to the Kansas Attorney General’s Office. The letters, which have a return address of Topeka or Kansas City, were turned over to the KBI and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Day said.
“Please be diligent and cautious when receiving mail from unknown individuals,” Day wrote in the email.
A spokeswoman for the KBI didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry asking if the letters were only sent to Republicans, when the first letter was discovered, or how long it would take to identify the powder.
Letters containing suspicious white powder have been sent to lawmakers and other public officials across Kansas.
No injuries have been reported, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. It had counted more than 30 letters as of late Friday afternoon. The news release… pic.twitter.com/FJiiDRJoYL
— dana (@dana916) June 17, 2023
ABC 30 got the scoop too:
The FBI and multiple state agencies are investigating after dozens of letters containing a “suspicious” white powder were sent to Kansas state legislators and public officials on Friday, law enforcement said.
More than 30 such letters have been reported across the state as of 4 p.m. Friday, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said.
“Law enforcement is working to safely collect the letters and investigate the incidents,” the agency said in a statement. “Currently, no injuries have been reported, but we ask everyone to remain vigilant in handling mail.”
The FBI, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Kansas Highway Patrol and multiple local authorities have responded to reports of unidentified government officials receiving mail containing a white powder.
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