Suhas Subramanyam’s Virginia office evacuated after suspicious envelope arrives
The Leesburg incident comes amid reports of powder-filled letters addressed to members of Congress ahead of the November midterms.
Representative Suhas Subramanyam’s district office in Leesburg, Virginia, was evacuated on Monday, October 19, after receiving an envelope containing a suspicious substance, according to his office. The Guardian reported that the incident was part of a wider series of white-powder envelopes targeting members of Congress weeks before the November 3 midterm elections.
Subramanyam’s office said the evacuation was prompt and thanked Leesburg Police, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue, its Hazmat team and Capitol Police for responding. Preliminary tests found the powder at his office was not hazardous, The Guardian reported. Subramanyam said acts of political intimidation had no place in the country.
How widely have the suspicious letters spread?
The Guardian reported that offices of more than three dozen members of Congress had been targeted, but said federal authorities had not released a confirmed total. It also reported that law enforcement sources told ABC News more than 100 letters thought to contain white powder were circulating in the US mail system. That figure, too, was not presented as an official count.
The letters have been reported across party lines. According to The Guardian, authorities intercepted letters addressed to Democratic senators Chuck Schumer and Alex Padilla, while Senator Chris Murphy said his team was alerted to one. Republican senators Mike Rounds, Pete Ricketts and Ted Cruz also reported suspicious letters. Rounds said his Sioux Falls office was evacuated.
What investigators have said about the envelopes
The FBI, Capitol Police and US Postal Inspection Service are investigating, according to a notice sent to Senate staff that The Guardian cited. The Guardian reported that the FBI had described recovered envelopes as passing through a north Texas mail processing center and bearing a ‘Thinking of You’ postmark or stamp. Senate and House staff were warned to watch for plain white envelopes with those markings. Most were intercepted by postal inspectors or screening facilities before delivery, the report said.
No suspect has been named. The incidents follow suspicious mail sent to election officials in 17 states before the 2024 presidential election, according to The Guardian. The current investigation is unfolding less than three weeks before voters go to the polls on November 3.
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Sources and context
- Over three dozen Congress members’ offices targeted with white powder envelopesThe Guardian
- Rep. Subramanyam Issues Statement on Suspicious Mail Received at District OfficeOffice of Representative Suhas Subramanyam
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.