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FBI Investigates Suspicious Letters Sent to Election Officials
Confirmed
In Short: Federal investigators are examining a series of suspicious letters sent to state election officials and congressional offices across the country, some of which contained unknown substances, CBS News reported on October 15, 2026.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are leading the investigation, with the Postal Inspection Service stating they will bring all their resources to bear on these cases.
Chris Murphy, a senator from Connecticut, confirmed his office received a letter with a suspicious substance, which was intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service.
Kirsten Gillibrand's office in New York City also received a suspicious letter, and postal inspectors were on the scene to investigate.
The secretaries of state in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Mississippi reported receiving suspicious mail, but these were intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service or law enforcement before they arrived.
According to the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Fox News, the return address on the letters was for the Democratic Socialists of America headquarters in New York City.
The FBI and U.S. Capitol Police are working to intercept any additional letters, but it is possible that some may still reach their destinations.
In Louisiana, an employee who opened a letter sent to the Secretary of State's office was taken to the emergency room as a precaution, but no one was injured.
Federal officials are working to identify the responsible parties and have intercepted some of the letters, according to Brendan Donahue, the deputy chief inspector at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Field testing confirmed no hazardous material was detected in the letters.
Authorities are urging recipients to treat the letters as potentially hazardous.
The investigation is ongoing, and federal law enforcement officials are probing the source of the envelopes with suspicious substances sent to multiple congressional and election offices nationwide.
What this adds
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging recipients to treat the letters as potentially hazardous.
What's confirmed
- "Law enforcement responded to today's incident and conducted tests that found no evidence of harmful substances," she wrote on Facebook, adding that no one was injured.
- Chris Murphy of Connecticut also said his office was "sent a letter with a suspicious substance." "Our office was promptly informed of the letter by FBI, SAA, and Capitol Police, and we continue to work closely with them and federal law enforcement," said Josh Sorbe, a spokesman for Murphy.
- "We are committed to protecting our nation's election officials from threatening and dangerous mail. Any threat or attack on an election official is unacceptable," Donahue said.
- The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the "suspicious mailings," according to Brendan Donahue, the deputy chief inspector at the USPIS.
- "We received the notification from the FBI that one of our offices was mailed a letter containing a suspicious substance, but it was intercepted by USPS," the spokesperson said.
- Federal law enforcement officials are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to congressional offices on Capitol Hill and election offices nationwide bearing a return address for the Democratic Socialists of America headquarters in New York City, according to the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Fox News.
- President Donald Trump launched another taxpayer-funded television ad ahead of the midterm election, warning of a "final battle."
What's still developing
- "Staff members followed security and USPS instructions on handling suspicious mail," the post said.
- Authorities are urging recipients to treat the letters as ‘potentially hazardous’ Authorities are urging recipients to treat the letters as ‘potentially hazardous’ Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?
- La. (WAFB) - Federal authorities are investigating suspicious letters mailed to congressional and election offices across the country, just two days after a package containing an unknown white powder prompted an evacuation at the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office in Baton Rouge.
- Sullivan is running as a Republican in order to draw votes away from the incumbent senator and give his Democratic opponent, Mary Peltola an advantage in the general election.
- The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s emergency bid to enforce new U.S. Postal Service (USPS) restrictions on mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, leaving a lower court’s nationwide block in place.
- However, he said attempting to apply the rules during the 2026 elections would be "arbitrary and capricious" under the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local election officials do not have enough time to reasonably implement them.
- MADISON (WKOW) -- The Wisconsin Elections Commission is calling on the U.S. Postal Service to implement "extraordinary measures" for future elections after two-thirds of local clerks reported mail delays following the state's spring election in April.
- The US war with Iran has sent energy prices skyrocketing, coming back to bite President Donald Trump at home with high fuel costs that have become a key issue ahead of midterm congressional elections in a month.
- “If you cannot implement this process by then, given the ongoing federal election, the United States will have no choice but to seek emergency relief,” the letter states.
- The ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit found that, because the state used a map drawn by legislators in 2025 for the August primary, the state must use it for the November election.
- “This Court holds that Missouri’s current plan to use the 2022 map in the November 2026 general election violates the Constitution. Only use of the 2025 map complies with the Constitution and federal law,” the decision said.
- Candidates standing in the Isle of Man's general election have been sent letters asking them to back the island signing up to an international space treaty.