Suspicious Package Sent to Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, Prompting Evacuation

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon speaks during a test of voting machines in St Louis Park, Minn., on Oct. 23, 2018. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

A “suspicious” package was delivered to the Office of Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon on Sept. 27, prompting an evacuation and investigation, his office said in a statement.

The package was addressed to the office with a return address to the “United States Traitor Elimination Army,” according to the statement.

Simon’s office was then evacuated.

Multiple agencies, including the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota State Patrol, responded to the incident and are now probing the package’s origins.

Simon’s office did not provide further details regarding the incident, such as the exact contents of the package, how it was discovered, or by whom.

It is not clear how long the evacuation lasted for.

Simon, a Democrat who also serves as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), said threatening election officials is “unacceptable” and cannot be tolerated.

“Our democracy depends on public servants who must be able to perform their duties free from fear, intimidation, or harassment,” Simon said in a statement.

“This action is not deterring our work or determination to deliver another election that is free, fair, accurate, and secure. We will work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the person or persons responsible for this action are held accountable.”

Simon’s office noted in the statement that similar packages had previously been sent to several elections offices throughout the country.

‘Threatening, Intimidating Actions’

Election officials in more than a dozen states have received suspicious envelopes containing white powder in recent months, prompting multiple investigations and evacuations. Secretaries of state and election offices in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming, and Oklahoma are among those to also receive such packages.

A package sent to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office earlier this month also had a return address of the “United States Traitor Elimination Army.”

Despite the increasing number of suspicious packages reportedly being sent to the offices of various election officials, there have so far been no reports of injuries, and none of the packages have contained hazardous material.

The FBI and U.S. Postal Service, which is currently working to determine how many letters were sent, by whom, and why, have stated that the packages contained “an unknown substance” but have not offered further details.

Earlier this month, Simon—in his official capacity as NASS president—condemned what he said was a “disturbing trend” in increasingly “threatening and intimidating actions” against election workers with just weeks to go until the Nov. 5 presidential elections.

The Democrat also condemned the second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

“Time and time again, NASS has condemned threats towards election officials and workers. We have continually spoken out against previous suspicious letters sent and the first assassination attempt of a former president and current presidential candidate,” Simon said in a statement.

“This must stop, period. Our democracy has no place for political violence, threats, or intimidation of any kind.”

Representatives for Simon’s office didn’t respond by publication time to a request by The Epoch Times for further comment.

Caden Pearson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.