SAINT PAUL – Nonhazardous white powdered substance was found inside a suspicious mailing delivered to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State on September 27. The substance was tested by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and determined to be nonhazardous. MDH is continuing to run additional tests. The FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota State Patrol are actively investigating.
The package was addressed to the office with a return address to the “United States Traitor Elimination Army.” Earlier this month, several other Secretaries of State and state election officials received similar suspicious packages.
In 2023, Minnesota enacted a new law to protect election workers. Under the new law it is illegal to intimidate elections workers; interfere with the administration of an election; disseminate personal information of an election official; obstruct access of any election official to the location where elections administration is occurring; tamper with a ballot box; tamper with the Statewide Voter Registration System, registration list or polling place roster; or, access the statewide voter registration system without authorization.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon issued the following statement:
“We are thankful for the quick response by our law enforcement partners to ensure the staff members working in our office were safe. We are also grateful to the Minnesota Department of Health, which completed the initial analysis late into the evening on September 27.
Fear and intimidation of election workers will not be tolerated. New laws enacted in 2023 make it very clear that it is a crime to intimidate election workers and interfere with the administration of an election. Our focus remains on delivering a free, fair, accurate, and secure election for Minnesotans.”