Suspicious packages allegedly target election officials in 6 states
Suspicious mail sent to election offices in at least six states is putting law enforcement on high alert ahead of the November election.
Straight Arrow News
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office was among at least 15 election offices nationwide to receive a suspicious package from an unknown source, LaRose said Wednesday.
LaRose has also been the target of personal threats, his office said, prompting Gov. Mike DeWine to approve additional security for him.
More: Suspicious mail sent to elections officials in Iowa, 5 other states. What to know
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who serves as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, said the threats are part of a “disturbing trend” unfolding as the Nov. 5 election approaches.
“Our democracy has no place for political violence, threats or intimidation of any kind,” Simon said.
Election officials in Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska were among those who received suspicious packages Monday and Tuesday, USA TODAY reported. The incidents are being investigated by the FBI and U.S. Postal Service.
LaRose said law enforcement advised them to watch out for the package ahead of time, which allowed them to intercept it before it reached their office. Officials believe it contains a powdery substance that isn’t hazardous.
“The security of our employees and all election officials across Ohio is a top concern as we enter a critical period in the election cycle,” LaRose said. “We’ve now seen two assassination attempts directed at a presidential candidate, and the FBI is actively investigating several threats here in Ohio. We need to lower the temperature of our political discourse and send a clear, bipartisan message that we resolve our elections in this country with ballots not bullets.”
The threats toward LaRose and his office come as state officials contend with bomb threats against schools and government buildings in Springfield, which has been at the center of the national immigration debate in recent weeks.
Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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Publish date : 2024-09-18 03:21:00
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