Rep. Adam Smith Receives Suspicious Letter With Powdery Substance
The Washington state Democrat's office was evacuated as hazmat units responded to the incident, joining a growing list of lawmakers targeted by similar mailings.
Rep. Adam Smith, a Washington state Democrat, received a suspicious letter containing a powdery substance at his district office on Monday, his office confirmed. The incident prompted the evacuation of staff and a response from local hazmat units.
The letter's discovery makes Smith the latest in a series of politicians across the country to receive similar mail. According to Puget Sound Fire Division Chief Pat Pawlak, hazmat units were dispatched to Smith's office in Kent, Washington, at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time.
Several other lawmakers have reportedly received comparable letters in recent days. Among them are Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic senators Chris Murphy, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Lisa Blunt Rochester. Preliminary reports suggest that more than 100 such letters may be circulating through the U.S. mail system.
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are jointly investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including state election offices. "Some of the letters contained an unknown substance, and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident," the FBI stated. It remains unclear if Smith's case is directly linked to the broader series of incidents.