(KRON) -- Federal authorities are investigating letters with “suspicious substances” that have been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and are urging recipients to treat the mailings as “potentially hazardous.”
The investigation by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The notice, sent to Senate offices, said that law enforcement officials were working to intercept any additional letters, but “it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations.”
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At least one Northern California congressmember reported receiving the envelopes. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) confirmed to KRON4 that one of his staffers opened an envelope containing a "white powdery substance."
"An envelope containing a suspicious white powder was delivered to my Santa Cruz district office and opened by staff this morning as part of her normal daily morning routine responding to constituents," Panetta said. "Upon realizing that there was powder in the envelope, she immediately put the envelope in the garbage can, cleared fellow staff members out of the office, and called 911."
“My priority is the safety and security of my staff and, thankfully, she and the other staff have been initially cleared by medical officials," Panetta added.
In a possibly related matter, the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office said it responded to the Santa Cruz County Government Building at 701 Ocean Street after potentially hazardous materials were found.
The building was evacuated as a precaution. No injuries were reported.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office provided an update Friday afternoon that, "The substance has been deemed harmless. The investigation is ongoing."
SCSO added that the county building remains closed but will resume operations Monday.
Bay Area Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) also reported receiving a similar envelope.
“My San Jose office received a suspicious letter through the mail today. Law enforcement was immediately," Lofgren told KRON4 in a statement. "The investigation is ongoing. All of my staffers are safe. I will have more to say after the investigation is complete.”
U.S. Sen Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) also confirmed to KRON4 that his office had been targeted.
“My office is in touch with the FBI, U.S. Postal Service, and Senate security officials following a suspicious package the U.S. Postal Service intercepted before reaching our office. Thankfully, no threat was posed to my staff or our office," said Padilla in a statement. “Still, this incident is a stark reminder of the very real dangers facing those who serve the public and who help administer our elections in the face of increasingly hostile political rhetoric – especially from Donald Trump. We must remain vigilant as we head further into the midterm elections and invest in a strong, well-funded Postal Service that has the resources to protect its workers, safeguard the mail, and reliably serve the American people.
“I am grateful to the law enforcement officers and postal workers who acted quickly, and I will continue to work to keep our elected officials, our election workers, and our democracy safe.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
