Republican lawmakers and officials in Kansas said they received letters containing white powder and that the FBI and state investigators are now involved.
In a June 18 statement, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) confirmed that there was white powder in the letters and that about 100 such letters were sent to people across Kansas. A sample of the letters with the powder was sent to a laboratory that specializes in testing potential biological samples, according to officials.
“Preliminary tests have returned from this lab indicating the substance is presumptively negative for common biological agents of concern. Further and more complete testing will be conducted on this sample, as well as on additional letters that have been collected, in an effort to determine the components of the substance. The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time,” the agency’s statement reads.
The FBI and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) are now involved in the investigation. No injuries or illnesses have been reported so far.
Kansas state House Speaker Daniel Hawkins, a Republican, received one of the letters, according to a statement to CNN from spokesperson Carrie Rahfaldt.
“We are very appreciative of KBI Director [Tony] Mattivi, the agents of the KBI, local law enforcement and fire departments, the KS National Guard, KDHE, the FBI, the Office of the State Fire Marshall, and everyone else who was involved in the massive process of retrieving these envelopes and ensuring the safety of our members,” Hawkins’s office told media outlets.
Also, Republican state Rep. Stephen Owens also got a letter with the powder, and he said he believes that only Republicans received such letters.
The letter, in part, reads, “It’s important not to choke on your ambition.”
CNN also posted a copy of the letter that was sent to Owens, showing that the writer used multiple fonts.
The letter had a June 14 postdate.
“There’s a question whether maybe it’s related to some of those vetoes that we overrode,” Owens told CNN. “It’s really terrifying to think that because of someone’s political beliefs that they can be a target.”
The Republican-led state Legislature overrode multiple vetoes handed down by Kansas’s governor this year, Owens said, including one that bars transgender athletes from competing on women’s sports teams.
Owens said he believed that the letter was from a constituent because the return address was for a church located in his district.
“It was very deliberate, very intentional to get us to open the letters,” Owens said.
“Violence and acts of violence and threats do absolutely nothing, nothing to change one’s perspective. As a matter of fact, that strengthens the resolve of myself and my colleagues and of our party to continue the work that we’re doing.”
“This is not okay. Yesterday evening I received a call from our Sheriff, Brian Bellendir, to warn me about being careful with my mail. He described the suspicious package/letter and alerted that there could be a white substance in it,” Blew wrote. “This is not okay. My Friday evening didn’t go as planned but a huge thank you to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Salina Fire Department, and the Bomb Squad from Fort Riley for your quick response and making sure we are all safe.
“I’m very thankful for our first responders—words can’t describe my gratitude after this event. This is not okay. I don’t know all the details, but as of now only republicans [sic] legislators have received this package.”
“The matter is being addressed by the KBI, but please be alert for any suspicious package and use caution when opening mail,” Senate President Ty Masterson told other lawmakers last week. “If you have something that looks odd, please contact the KBI prior to opening OR if you find a white substance, please call the KBI prior to handling.”
It’s not clear whether any Democrat lawmakers have received the suspicious letters. A spokesperson for Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly told the Topeka Capital-Journal that the governor’s office hasn’t received any such letter.
Representatives for the FBI’s press office didn’t respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
