More than three dozen offices of members of Congress targeted with envelopes of white powder | US Congress

More than three dozen members of the US Congress have had their offices targeted with envelopes containing white powder, less than three weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, as federal agents try to identify who is behind the campaign.

The latest is Virginia Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, whose Leesburg district office was evacuated Monday after the arrival of an envelope containing a suspicious substance. He said the office was quickly emptied, adding that “acts of political intimidation have no place in our country.”

Subramanyam’s office said preliminary tests showed the powder was not dangerous.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that more than 100 letters believed to contain white powder were circulating through the U.S. postal system. The FBI, Capitol Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating, according to a notice sent to Senate staff Thursday.

Election offices in at least 15 states had reported receiving or being the target of suspicious mail Thursday evening, according to the Tampa Free Press, which cited federal authorities. No suspects have been named and federal authorities have not released a confirmed figure.

The FBI declined to confirm “specific cases or letters” but said in a statement: “The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses throughout the country, including the Secretary of State’s offices and their associated election offices, as well as congressional offices.”

“Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident. We are also working with our partners to identify the person(s) responsible for these letters. This FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service will continue to protect the public and secure elections for American citizens.”

Senators have been targeted across the political spectrum and across the country. Letters addressed to Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and California Sen. Alex Padilla were intercepted by authorities, while Connecticut’s Chris Murphy said the FBI, Senate sergeant-at-arms and Capitol Police also alerted his team to a letter. Republicans in South Dakota, Texas and Nebraska were also targeted, with Mike Rounds claiming his Sioux Falls office had been evacuated, while Pete Ricketts and Ted Cruz also reported a suspicious letter.

In the House, at least 10 people were reported after white powder was sent to the offices of New York Democrats Hakeem Jeffries, Ritchie Torres and Tom Suozzi. In California, Jimmy Panetta said an employee opened an envelope in his Santa Cruz office, then cleared the room and called 911. He said such attempts at intimidation “would not deter us from doing our jobs.” In Massachusetts, five employees left Seth Moulton’s Salem office while police investigated, and tests revealed no substances of concern.

Investigators described several common features linking suspicious letters sent to public officials and election centers.

The FBI said the recovered envelopes were processed by a North Texas mail processing center and bear a postmark or stamp reading “Thinking of You.” Senate staff and House offices have been warned to watch for plain white envelopes bearing these distinct markings.

The vast majority of these envelopes were intercepted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and screening facilities before being delivered.

In 2024, election officials were targeted in 17 states ahead of the 2024 presidential election, and no suspects have been named in the case.