Montana Republican legislators are the latest GOP state officials to be targeted, receiving threatening letters containing white powder after Tennessee and Kansas Republicans received similar suspicious mail in recent days, officials say.
Meanwhile, four days after the Cordell Hull Building legislative offices in Nashville were locked down upon Republican leaders received threatening mail, an FBI official tells The Tennessee Star that the incident remains under investigation and that the agency has no comment at this time.
“At least two Montana legislators have received suspicious packages in the mail containing a white powder. At this time, both are fine and law enforcement is investigating and will be testing the substance,” the Montana State Senate GOP tweeted on Friday.
At least two Montana legislators have received suspicious packages in the mail containing a white powder. At this time, both are fine and law enforcement is investigating and will be testing the substance. #mtleg #mtpol #mtnews
— Montana Senate GOP (@MTSenateGOP) June 24, 2023
Governor Greg Gianforte (pictured above, right) also wrote on twitter that he had received “disturbing reports that Montana legislators are receiving anonymous, threatening letters containing white powder.”
“The state will bring to bear whatever resources are needed to support law enforcement officers as they investigate,” the Republican governor said.
NBC Montana reported that State Rep. Rhonda Knudsen, House Speaker Pro Tempore, ( R-Culbertson) (pictured above, left) and State Rep. Neil Duram (R-Eureka) (pictured above, center) received the letters at their residences. The letters had local return addresses but had Kansas City post office markings.
“Anonymous actions like this are not expressions of free speech but rather are cowardly attempts to coerce and harm elected officials. I will not be intimidated by these kinds of tactics,” Knudsen said in a statement. “I also want to acknowledge the very quick response by the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Jason Frederick sent a deputy to my residence and the deputy secured the letter and immediately removed it from my home.”
Investigations into similar incidents in Kansas and Tennessee continue.
The Cordell Hull Building in Nashville, which houses state legislative offices, was locked down on Thursday following the discovery of a “white powder substance” in mail sent to Republican leaders, in “obvious threats made by a liberal activist,” the House GOP said in a statement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is working closely with law enforcement partners in responding to each incident and to safely collect the letters, the agency said in a press release last week.
“Laboratory testing is ongoing but at this time has not indicated a risk to public safety. Additional testing will be needed to fully identify the unknown substance in the letters,” the FBI said.
On Monday, Joel Siskovic, spokesman for the FBI’s Memphis Division, told The Tennessee Star the agency will not be putting out anything beyond last week’s statement.
“I don’t expect any further comment at all, not from FBI Memphis or the FBI in general,” Siskovic said, adding that the next comment regarding the investigation will come from a U.S. Attorney’s office.
“The letters contained an obvious threat made by a liberal activist, specifically targeting Republicans. The sixth floor of the Cordell Hull building is on lockdown currently, while Homeland Security investigates,” Jennifer Easton, the spokeswoman for the House Republican Caucus, who was reportedly in the building when the mail was received, said last Thursday.
Ken Jobe, the Democratic Caucus spokesperson, quickly dismissed the powder as “an over-the-counter, perhaps, pain reliever or something like that,” despite the fact that the FBI had not yet tested it.
Days before the Tennessee attack, prominent Republicans in Kansas received multiple suspicious packages, according to reports. Republican leaders there called the mass mailing a “cowardly attempt to intimidate the Legislature.”
“At this point, it appears over 100 elected state and legislative officials have received threatening letters filled with a suspicious powdery substance,” a joint statement from the Kansas House and Senate states. “Thankfully, the KDHE is saying the substance is presumptively negative for any biologicals. While this is certainly good news, it has nonetheless been a stressful last few days for our families and other citizens impacted by this cowardly attempt to intimidate the legislature.
The letters contained cryptic messages and details designed to get recipients to open them, lawmakers told CNN.
“To honor your recent accomplishments I send to you a gift from the exclusive astruc baruch collection,” one letter to Kansas State Rep. Stephen Owens stated, according to CNN. “It is important not to choke on your ambition.”
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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Greg Gianforte” by Franmarie Metzler. Photo “Rhonda Knudsen” by Montana State Legislature. Photo “Neil Duram” by Montana State Legislature. Background Photo “Montana State Capitol” by Parkerdr. CC BY-SA 3.0.
