Raja Krishnamoorthi’s office receives suspicious package amid US probe into hazardous mailings

Washington, DC: US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on Saturday (local time) said his district office in Schaumburg, Illinois, received a suspicious package containing unknown substances, amid an ongoing federal investigation into similar mailings targeting congressional offices and election officials across the country.

In a post on X, Krishnamoorthi confirmed that local emergency responders and federal law enforcement agencies had responded promptly to the incident and safely removed the package.

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"Yesterday, my district office received a suspicious package similar to those sent to multiple congressional offices across the country," Krishnamoorthi said.

Following the discovery of the delivery at the Schaumburg facility, local emergency teams joined forces with federal law enforcement agencies to safely remove the package.

Expressing gratitude to the multiple emergency services involved in the operation, Krishnamoorthi praised the rapid response that prevented injuries to office personnel.

"I am grateful for the Schaumburg Fire Department, the Postal Inspector, Capitol Police, and federal law enforcement for their swift response in safely removing the package and its substances," he stated.

Reflecting on the security concern capping off a turbulent period, the congressman added that, "It's been a long week."

This comes as federal investigators are actively probing a series of "suspicious" letters mailed to state election officials and congressional offices nationwide, several of which contained unidentified substances, according to CBS News.

The joint federal probe is being led by the FBI alongside the US Postal Inspection Service, which confirmed that law enforcement agencies are tracking the "suspicious mailings" across multiple jurisdictions.

CBS News reported that Brendan Donahue, deputy chief inspector at the USPIS, said that investigators discovered unknown substances inside some of the envelopes, noting that the mailings were directed to "various addresses nationwide," including "secretary of state offices and the related election offices."

The hazardous mailings targeted lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.

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CBS News reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's office was identified as one of the congressional locations targeted in the operation, while at least two Senate Republicans were also sent letters.

In response to the potential security threat, the Senate Sergeant at Arms issued a formal notice to Capitol Hill staff informing them of the ongoing multi-agency investigation.

Democrat Representative Bobby Scott also stated in a post on X that the federal law enforcement authorities intercepted a mail package containing an unknown, hazardous substance that was addressed to his district office.

Scott confirmed the security intervention, stating that federal agents contacted his staff directly to report that the hazardous delivery was seized prior to reaching its destination.

"The FBI contacted my office earlier today to report that it had intercepted mail containing a suspicious substance addressed to my district office, like others reported around the country," Scott wrote.

Expressing appreciation to federal law enforcement for preventing exposure to his district personnel, Congressman Scott praised the multi-agency response while issuing a strong warning against politically motivated harassment.

"I am grateful to law enforcement for their efforts to keep my staff safe," Scott stated. "Threats and attempts at intimidation are unacceptable and must not be tolerated."

Federal investigators are actively attempting to determine who is behind the targeted mailings and have successfully intercepted a portion of the packages prior to delivery, CBS News cited the deputy chief inspector at the USPIS as saying.

The surge in security incidents arrives three weeks before the upcoming midterm elections. Federal authorities previously conducted similar investigations into widespread suspicious letter campaigns during the period leading up to the 2024 elections.