U.S. Reps. Adelita Grijalva, Yassamin Ansari and Greg Stanton reported receiving suspicious letters, some of which contained unknown substances, according to a joint statement. The letters were delivered to former offices of Grijalva and Ansari, while the one sent to Stanton’s office in Mesa was intercepted before it could arrive.
The trio stated they were notified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s office in Phoenix and the Arizona Department of Homeland Security about the incidents. They called the letters an attempt to intimidate them but said it would not deter them from continuing in their roles as elected officials.
The incidents occurred just two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. This is the second time in less than a week that Arizona’s elected leaders have received suspicious mail. On Oct. 15, Arizona’s election chief was targeted as part of a nationwide threat wave that saw more than 100 political organizations and elected leaders receive similar letters.
Brooke Brennan, a spokesperson for the FBI’s office in Phoenix, stated that the agency is investigating multiple incidents of suspicious mail being sent to the offices of election officials and congressional members across the country. Some of the letters contained an unknown substance, and the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are working closely with law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and identify the individual or individuals responsible.
