Minnesota Democrats among those targeted with threatening letters containing suspicious substances

Democratic U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith along with U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon reported Friday that their offices were sent threatening letters with suspicious substances.

The letters to Klobuchar, Smith and Simon were intercepted before reaching the officials’ offices by federal authorities, who are investigating similar packages mailed to election administrators and congressional offices across the U.S.

In a social media post, Klobuchar thanked postal workers and investigators for intercepting the letter before it reached her Minnesota office.

“We’re grateful to everyone involved for their quick response and we will continue working closely with law enforcement as the investigation continues,” she said.

Morrison thanked the Plymouth police and fire departments for “their quick response to this threat and keeping our office and staff safe.”

Simon said in a statement the unidentified white powder in the package sent to his office is being tested by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 

“Threats against election workers are unacceptable and should not be tolerated,” Simon’s statement said. “Our office will not be deterred and will continue to support the thousands of election officials across the state as they administer elections to their communities.”

Similar packages have prompted responses in other states, including Arizona, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma were evacuated after receiving suspicious mail containing powdery substances, while the U.S. Postal Service intercepted a similar package intended for Ohio’s secretary of state. 

The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement expressing concern over the incidents, saying that threats against election officials “have no place in our democracy.”

The investigations come less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 general election. Early, in-person voting started Friday in Minnesota.

Simon said earlier this month that his office will be operating with “a war room mentality” on Election Day, coordinating with election administrators in all 87 counties and local law enforcement to prepare for potential threats and to combat misinformation.

In recent months, Minnesota has faced heightened federal scrutiny regarding its elections. In August, the U.S. Department of Justice sent election monitors to polling sites in two Minnesota counties. President Donald Trump has also made claims, without evidence, of election fraud in the state, and federal prosecutors recently charged 10 people with illegally voting or registering to vote in Minnesota elections.