Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), and Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) have received "suspicious letters" at their Arizona offices.
What Happened?
Over the weekend, the FBI informed the three lawmakers that their offices received mail that contained "unknown substances," with the ones sent to Rep. Stanton being intercepted before they arrived at his Mesa office.
The mail sent to Reps. Ansari and Grijalva went to former office addresses.
As the Arizona Mirror reported, the incident is the latest in a string of suspicious letters, many containing white powder, sent to election officials and organizations nationwide, with Secretary of State Adrian Fontes receiving one just days before the letters sent to Reps. Stanton, Ansari, and Grijalva.
What Lawmakers are Saying
"This weekend, the FBI Phoenix Field Office and the Arizona Department of Homeland Security informed us that suspicious letters had been sent to our offices. Similar letters, many containing unknown substances, have been mailed to elected officials across the country," the three lawmakers said in a joint statement. "The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating. We're grateful to law enforcement for acting quickly and keeping our staff and communities safe. We will not be intimidated, and we'll keep doing the work that Arizonans elected us to do."
Other Threats
Stanton, Ansari, and Grijalva are not the only Arizona officials to have been targeted in recent days, as State Senate President Warren Petersen (R-14) received a death threat over social media last week.
A man named John Bergen wrote, "Warren Petersen is a racist pedophile. [Representative Andy] Biggs (R-AZ) and Petersen deserve death. Both should be Kirked," referencing the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last September.
"I've run for office many times, but I've never witnessed the level of false accusations and threats of violence we're seeing this election," State Sen. Petersen posted on social media. "Every major law enforcement organization has endorsed me because I've spent years working to protect children and our state. My wife was born in Mexico. Political violence and threats have no place in our state. There must be accountability"
