(This story has been updated to include a statement from Pittsburgh's Department of Public Safety.)
As numerous elected officials across the country report receiving letters containing unknown substances ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, a suspicious package was found in U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick's Pittsburgh office.
The package was found in the Pennsylvania Republican's office on Oct. 19, with multiple agencies investigating it, news outlets reported.
Here's what we know.
FBI investigating suspicious package found at Sen. Dave McCormick's Pittsburgh office
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was investigating a suspicious package found at McCormick's Pittsburgh office on Oct. 19. The package was cleared by a HAZMAT team and a bomb squad before the FBI took over, according to WPXI.
Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Chief Mat Davis told
CBS News Pittsburgh that the package didn't appear to have been mailed and that it contained "no substance, no threat."
"The FBI is going to take it just for precaution," he said.
Emily Bourne, a spokesperson for Pittsburgh's Department of Public Safety, confirmed to USA TODAY that the Pittsburgh Police Bomb Squad responded alongside a hazmat team to McCormick's office "out of an abundance of caution" on Oct. 19.
"The contents were found to be benign/not hazardous and there was/is no ongoing public safety threat," Bourne said.
What was in suspicious package at Dave McCormick's Pittsburgh office?
Multiple people said the package contained a pacifier, with one person saying there was a handwritten note discussing President Donald Trump, CBS News Pittsburgh reported.
The FBI did not comment on the contents of the package.
Have other politicians received suspicious packages?
Yes. Last week, a federal investigation expanded into letters sent to elected officials' offices, according to NBC News. The letters contained unknown substances, with the most recent round having been sent to Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota. Overall, at least 26 state election offices and at least 22 offices of congressional Democrats have been targeted, according to NBC News.
Is Dave McCormick up for reelection?
No, McCormick is not up for reelection this year. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2024 and assumed office in 2025, and his term ends at the start of 2031.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What we know about suspicious package in McCormick's Pittsburgh office
