Mysterious name on suspicious package sent to election officials

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) – The FBI has not yet confirmed whether an individual or group is responsible for sending suspicious packages to election officials in nearly 20 states this week. The packages have sparked state and federal investigations to determine who sent them and whether there are any connections between them.

Iowa and Nebraska were among the states that received a package. One package, intended for the Colorado Secretary of State's office, listed the “US Traitor Elimination Army” as the return address.

A spokeswoman for Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate declined to say whether the package that forced the evacuation of employees contained the same return address as the package from Colorado.

There have been reports in some states that the packages contained a white powdery substance. There have been no reports of illness or injury from contact.

These are other states that report suspicious packages:

• Alaska
• Connecticut
• Georgia
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• new York
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• Washington
• Wyoming

An FBI spokesman in Omaha declined to answer specific questions about the investigation, but issued a statement:

“The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a number of suspicious mail items sent to election officials in several states. Some of the letters contained an unknown substance, and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and safely collect the letters. We are also working with our partners to determine how many letters were sent, who or what individuals were responsible for the letters, and the motive behind the letters. Because this is an ongoing matter, we will not comment further on the investigation, but the public can be assured that safety is our top priority. We also want to remind everyone to be cautious when handling mail, especially from unknown senders. If you see anything suspicious, please contact law enforcement immediately.”

The National Association of Secretaries of State condemned the threats in a statement:

“With less than 50 days until the November 5, 2024 general election, we are seeing a disturbing trend continue – the second assassination attempt on a presidential candidate, as well as threats and intimidation against election officials. We are grateful that our colleagues and their staff are safe. We are also extremely grateful for the work of law enforcement in expertly handling these incidents.

“NASS has consistently condemned threats against election officials and staff. We have consistently spoken out against previous suspicious letters and the first assassination attempt on a former president and current presidential candidate. This must stop, period. Our democracy. This must stop, period. There is no place for political violence, threats or intimidation of any kind in our democracy.”

(Note: This story also includes reporting from the Associated Press.)

About the author: A Midwestern native, Dave Price is Iowa politics director for Gray Television for 10 stations broadcasting in the state and has covered local, state and national politics in Iowa since 2001.

Dave produces and hosts “Inside Iowa Politics,” a weekly in-depth show focusing on interviews with top politicians about policies, issues, challenges and solutions affecting the state.

He has written two books about the Iowa Caucuses (“Caucus Chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump”). Email him at [email protected]Follow him on X (Twitter): @idaveprice Facebook: DavePriceNews Instagram: idavepreis and LinkedIn: Dave Price.

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