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17:43

NEWS STORY

 * Election 2024
 * Justice


IOWA’S ELECTION OFFICIALS ARE AMONG THOSE TARGETED WITH ‘SUSPICIOUS’ PARCELS


STATE OFFICES IN AT LEAST FOUR STATES WERE EVACUATED

BY: CLARK KAUFFMAN - SEPTEMBER 16, 2024 5:43 PM



Iowa elections officials in Iowa and several other states have been targeted
with mailings containing white powder. (Photo by Jim Obradovich/Iowa Capital
Dispatch)

Election officials in Iowa and at least four other states were the target Monday
of what appears to be a coordinated series of threats or acts of intimidation
involving suspicious parcels.

State officials evacuated the Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines on
Monday after a suspicious parcel was discovered at the Secretary of State’s
Office.

The incident was similar to situations that occurred Monday in Kansas, Nebraska,
Oklahoma, Wyoming and possibly other states. In each instance, the suspicious
parcels appear to have been directed to the secretaries of state – typically,
the offices that oversee elections at the state level.

At about 11 a.m. Monday, the Iowa State Patrol was summoned to the Lucas State
Office Building in the 300 block of East 12th Street near the Capitol Building
complex. The call referenced a suspicious parcel in the Iowa Secretary of
State’s Office.

According to state officials, the building was evacuated and the Des Moines Fire
Department’s Hazardous Materials Team was contacted. The team tested the parcel
and determined it did not pose a threat to the public.

Subsequently, all offices in the building were reopened and normal business
operations resumed. The matter remains under investigation.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (Photo courtesy of Iowa Secretary of State’s
Office)



Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate issued a written statement that indicated a
suspicious package had been “received” in his office, but he didn’t say whether
it arrived through the mail or was delivered some other way.

In Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Monday, the Herschler Building East was evacuated after
a letter containing a white powder was found in the Wyoming Secretary of State’s
Office.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office reported a
suspicious envelope at its Elections Division headquarters on Monday. A
substance inside the envelope was tested and determined to be nonhazardous.

In Topeka, Kansas, election officials said they were on alert Monday after
learning that Nebraska’s election office had received a suspicious package that
carried a return address that referenced “traitors.” A short time later, the
Kansas Secretary of State’s Office received a suspicious package that triggered
an evacuation of that office.

In Oklahoma, the State Election Board received a suspicious envelope in the mail
that contained a multipage document and a white powder substance later
identified as “wheat cereal” or flour, the board reported. The highway patrol
responded and secured the envelope and the office until the hazardous materials
team arrived.

Statement for our State Election Board: On Monday morning, the State Election
Board received a suspicious envelope in the mail containing a multi-page
document and a white, powder substance. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP)
responded  – securing both the envelope and the State Election Board office
until the Haz-mat Team could arrive. Testing by the Haz-mat Team identified the
substance as “wheat cereal” (flour).

In November 2023, suspicious letters — including some containing fentanyl — were
sent to elections offices in at least five states, delaying the counting of
ballots in some races. The letters were mailed to elections offices in Georgia,
Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington.


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CLARK KAUFFMAN

Deputy Editor Clark Kauffman has worked during the past 30 years as both an
investigative reporter and editorial writer at two of Iowa’s largest newspapers,
the Des Moines Register and the Quad-City Times. He has won numerous state and
national awards for reporting and editorial writing.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest
state-focused nonprofit news organization.

MORE FROM AUTHOR

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IOWA’S ELECTION OFFICIALS ARE AMONG THOSE TARGETED WITH ‘SUSPICIOUS’ PARCELS

by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch
September 16, 2024

<h1>Iowa’s election officials are among those targeted with ‘suspicious’
parcels</h1> <p>by Clark Kauffman, <a
href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a> <br />September
16, 2024</p> <p>Election officials in Iowa and at least four other states were
the target Monday of what appears to be a coordinated series of threats or acts
of intimidation involving suspicious parcels.</p> <p>State officials evacuated
the Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines on Monday after a suspicious
parcel was discovered at the Secretary of State’s Office.</p> <p>The incident
was similar to situations that occurred Monday in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma,
Wyoming and possibly other states. In each instance, the suspicious parcels
appear to have been directed to the secretaries of state – typically, the
offices that oversee elections at the state level.</p> <p>At about 11 a.m.
Monday, the Iowa State Patrol was summoned to the Lucas State Office Building in
the 300 block of East 12th Street near the Capitol Building complex. The call
referenced a suspicious parcel in the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office.</p>
<p>According to state officials, the building was evacuated and the Des Moines
Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team was contacted. The team tested the
parcel and determined it did not pose a threat to the public.</p>
<p>Subsequently, all offices in the building were reopened and normal business
operations resumed. The matter remains under investigation.</p> <figure><a
href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Iowa-Secretary-of-State-Paul-Pate-official-portrait.jpeg"></a><i></i>
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (Photo courtesy of Iowa Secretary of State’s
Office)</p></figure> <p>Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate issued a written
statement that indicated a suspicious package had been “received” in his office,
but he didn’t say whether it arrived through the mail or was delivered some
other way.</p> <p>In Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Monday, the <a
href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/09/16/building-next-to-wyoming-capitol-evacuated-because-of-letter-with-white-powder/">Herschler
Building East was evacuated</a> after a letter containing a white powder was
found in the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office.</p> <p>In Lincoln, Nebraska,
the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office <a
href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nonhazardous-material-found-in-envelope-sent-to-ne-secretary-of-states-office-caution-urged/">reported
a suspicious envelope</a> at its Elections Division headquarters on Monday. A
substance inside the envelope was tested and determined to be nonhazardous.</p>
<p>In Topeka, Kansas, <a
href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-secretary-of-states-office-evacuated-after-receiving-suspicious-mail/">election
officials said</a> they were on alert Monday after learning that Nebraska’s
election office had received a suspicious package that carried a return address
that referenced “traitors.” A short time later, the Kansas Secretary of State’s
Office received a suspicious package that triggered an evacuation of that
office.</p> <p>In Oklahoma, the State Election Board received a suspicious
envelope in the mail that contained a multipage document and a white powder
substance later identified as “wheat cereal” or flour, the <a
href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/kansas-oklahoma-officials-receive-suspicious-mail-with-white-powder-substance/">board
reported.</a> The highway patrol responded and secured the envelope and the
office until the hazardous materials team arrived.</p> <p>Statement for our
State Election Board: On Monday morning, the State Election Board received a
suspicious envelope in the mail containing a multi-page document and a white,
powder substance. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) responded  – securing both
the envelope and the State Election Board office until the Haz-mat Team could
arrive. Testing by the Haz-mat Team identified the substance as “wheat cereal”
(flour).</p> <p>In November 2023, suspicious letters — including some containing
fentanyl — were sent to elections offices in at least five states, delaying the
counting of ballots in some races. The letters were mailed to elections offices
in Georgia, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington.</p> <style> figure,
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only screen and (max-width: 600px) {.newsroomSidebar
{max-width:95%;width:95%;margin-left:4%} .halfwidth
{float:none;width:100%;max-width:100%;} }</style> <p><a
href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a> is part of
States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of
donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial
independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: <a
href="mailto:info@iowacapitaldispatch.com">info@iowacapitaldispatch.com</a>.
Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on <a
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