Unidentified white powder at center of FBI probe into letters sent to Democrats and election officials

Letters reach election offices

Election groups said Wednesday that suspicious mail had been sent to election offices around the country. Letters intended for offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Idaho were stopped before reaching their destinations.

Wisconsin officials said the state Elections Commission received an envelope with an unidentified powdery material on Thursday. Meagan Wolfe, the state's chief election official, said the incident would not deter their work.

Federal investigation underway

The FBI said some letters held an unknown substance, and the US Postal Inspection Service is working to identify those responsible. Brendan Donahue, a deputy chief inspector with the service, said investigators were reviewing the mailings and that some had been intercepted.

Donahue said the agency was committed to protecting election officials from threatening mail. Investigators have not disclosed where the letters originated, whether they were meant to intimidate recipients or whether any substance posed a real health danger.

A warning sent to Senate staff said some envelopes appeared to have postmarks that did not match their return addresses. The FBI and postal investigators have not publicly named a sender.

Election timing raises concern

The investigation began less than three weeks before the November 3 midterms, when control of Congress is at stake. Millions of Americans are expected to vote by mail.

The Postal Service is preparing for the 2026 midterms with measures it described as extraordinary, including longer hours at selected locations, faster ballot processing, extra deliveries and special collection arrangements. The Supreme Court on September 14 blocked a new postal rule affecting mail ballots. The rule would have required states to share lists of voters receiving ballots by mail and use approved envelopes with unique barcodes; the Postal Service said it would not apply the rule.