Kansas lawmakers, officials were sent over 70 letters with ‘suspicious’ white powder: KBI
More than 70 letters addressed to Kansas lawmakers and public officials contained a “suspicious” white powder that is being investigated by local and federal authorities, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
The number shared by state law enforcement over social media Saturday is more than double the at least 30 letters received by officials across the state Friday afternoon.
No injuries have been reported.
Kansas Highway Patrol alerted director of Legislative Administrative Services Tom Day Friday that the letters or packages of three or four other lawmakers had been submitted for further investigation.
Day told legislators the letters had return addresses in Topeka and Kansas City
Rep. Samantha Poetter Parshall, a Paola Republican, said she was the sixth or seventh person to report receiving a letter to Day. She discovered the message while checking the mail with her 7-year-old son.
She thought the local address on her envelope meant it was safe to open.
“Once I read something about ‘Choking on your ambitions’ I realized there was another piece of paper folded up inside of it and put it back together.”
The letter had a white powder and appeared to be the same as the one Rep. Paul Waggoner, a Hutchinson Republican, received, she said. Poetter Parshall did not know whether all the messages were similar, but she’s heard other Republican colleagues are receiving the letters.
“It’s possible there could be a Democrat who received once based on a voting record. But not knowing exactly what the details are, so far, I’ve only heard of Republicans receiving them,” she said.
Rep. Tory Marie Blew, a Republican lawmaker from Great Bend, took to Facebook Saturday morning to share her experience receiving a letter.
“This is not okay,” she said in a post. “I don’t know all the details but as of now only Republican legislators have received this package.”
On Friday Kansas Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach was also sent a letter.
Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, sent a message to Kansas senators about the packages, warning them to be alert and use caution while opening mail.
“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,” Masterson said.
Three Kansas Democratic Party groups condemned the letters in a statement.
The Progressive Caucus, LGBTQ+ Caucus, and the Kansas Young Democrats said they “harshly condemn the recent mailings containing a suspicious white powder that were received by Republican legislators to their homes and the Attorney General’s office,” in a Friday statement .
“Whether the powder contains an actually threatening substance or is intended as a threat and contains a benign substance, this behavior is unacceptable and is horrific.”
KBI agents were investigating with the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and local police and fire departments.
Hazmat teams were also working to collect the letters for further investigation.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is made available.
