Beginning one week ago Friday, Kansas Republican lawmakers began receiving nearly 100 terrifying and threatening mail which included an unknown white powdery substance. Fortunately, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) said so far no injuries have been reported and the substance which accompanied the letter was “presumptively negative for common biological agents of concern.”
“Salutations. To honor your recent accomplishments I send to you a gift from the exclusive Astruc baruch collection. It is important not to choke on your own ambition,” read one of the letters received by Republican state Rep. Stephen Owens.
The letter was signed “your secret despirer.” The roughly 100 letters containing the “suspicious” white powder were sent to several Kansas GOP lawmakers, including Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, beginning last Friday.
Owens told CNN he opened the letter thinking it was from one of his constituents because the return address was for a church in his district. It is still unclear where the letters are coming from or who is sending them. The FBI is assisting the KBI and other state agencies in the investigation.
The state legislature has overridden nine of Kelly’s vetoes this year, including several related to gender identity.
Owens stated “There’s a question whether maybe it’s related to some of those vetoes that we overrode,” referring to the state legislature having overridden nine of Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s vetoes this year, including several related to gender identity. “It’s really terrifying to think that because of someone’s political beliefs that they can be a target,” he said.
The FBI is urging the public to “remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.” According to federal law enforcement officers, the scheme has expanded beyond Kansas to other Republican lawmakers. Similar letters were allegedly addressed to former President Donald Trump, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and other high-profile individuals, but were intercepted before they were delivered.