Federal officials are investigating after the offices of three U.S. House Democrats from Arizona received "suspicious letters" containing unknown substances.
U.S. Reps. Adelita Grijalva, Greg Stanton and Yassamin Ansari said on Oct. 19 that state and federal law enforcement informed them over the weekend about the letters.
"We will not be intimidated, and we’ll keep doing the work that Arizonans elected us to do," the three members of Congress wrote in a joint statement to media.
Similar incidents have been reported in Arizona and across the country in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The Arizona Executive Tower at the state Capitol in Phoenix was evacuated on Oct. 15 after staffers in the Secretary of State's Office opened
an envelope containing white powder. The Louisiana Secretary of State's Office in Baton Route reported a similar incident two days before, where staffers found a package containing white powder.
Elections officials in Ohio and Oklahoma also reported receiving suspicious packages earlier in October.
No injuries have been reported, according to local media in those states. But the incidents have drawn condemnation as attacks on election administration, many of them led by Republicans, have made the topic a lightning rod issue in recent campaign cycles.
"Threats and intimidation will never stop us from being public servants, and we'll continue doing the work that Arizonans elected us to do," Ansari wrote Oct. 19 on social media.
The FBI's Phoenix field office and the Arizona Department of Homeland Security alerted their offices to the letters, according to the lawmakers. The letters addressed to Grijalva and Ansari "were sent to former office addresses" and the letter addressed to Stanton’s office "was intercepted before delivery," they said.
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating, Ansari, Grijalva and Stanton wrote.
"We’re grateful to law enforcement for acting quickly and keeping our staff and communities safe," they wrote.
This is a developing story. Check back with azcentral.com for updates.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: FBI investigating suspicious letters sent to 3 Arizona Democrats
