Letters with unidentified substance sent to Sen. Klobuchar, Rep. Morrison and Minnesota secretary of state

The Minnesota secretary of state, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Kelly Morrison said their offices were sent mail containing an unidentified substance Friday.

The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State said mail addressed to its facility contained threats as well as an "unidentified white powder." Officials believe it is related to a series of suspicious letters sent to other election officials and congressional offices nationwide. 

According to the election office, the letter was intercepted Friday before it reached its destination. The Minnesota Department of Administration discovered it, and it is now in the possession of the United States Postal Inspection Service, where it is being tested. 

"Threats against election workers are unacceptable and should not be tolerated," Secretary of State Steve Simon said. "Our office will not be deterred and will continue to support the thousands of election officials across the state as they administer elections to their communities."

Simon said that he was, to some degree, expecting this development on Friday. He said he had been in touch with his counterparts nationwide after first learning that a letter had made its way to the office of the Republican Louisiana secretary of state on Tuesday.

"It suggests that there's some other larger political attempt at play, but we won't know that until the FBI concludes its investigation," Simon said. "It could be anything from just normal attention seeking to someone seeking to interfere with the election; we just don't know that yet. All I can tell you is that we will not be deterred either as an officer or as voters in Minnesota."     

Klobuchar said postal workers intercepted a parcel sent to her Minnesota office, and an investigation is underway. No one in her office is in immediate danger, she said.

Morrison posted on X Friday evening that her district office in Plymouth, Minnesota, received a letter containing a "suspicious substance" and that the city's fire department responded. The Plymouth Police Department said the incident was referred to the FBI.

When WCCO asked Sen. Tina Smith's office whether it was also a recipient of a suspicious letter, the office said the "postal service intercepted a mailing addressed to her Minnesota office."

Peter Holt, a retired postal inspector based in St. Paul, Minnesota, said that sending legitimately dangerous substances through the mail with the intent to harm is not common. 

"Letters containing a 'white powder' substance are exceedingly rare and are primarily designed to cause fear rather than injury. Other than the letters containing anthrax years ago on the East Coast, injuries from powder rarely ever occur," Holt said. "Inspectors take all of these investigations very seriously as the public needs to maintain their trust in the nation's mail system."

The letters come as threats against elected officials spike. According to researchers at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, there were 133 federally charged threat cases in 2025. That's a record figure, surpassing the previously set record of 104 cases in 2024. 

Mike Olson, a former Secret Service agent who established security consulting company 360 Security Services in Minnesota, said that he's seen threats against politicians exponentially increase in the digital age. 

"The threats in general are off the charts. They're skyrocketing," Olson said. 

While CBS News reports two Senate Republicans were sent this kind of mail, only DFL members in Minnesota have reported being targeted.

Early in-person voting began Friday. According to the election office, over 200,000 ballots have been cast during absentee voting so far.

"We are deeply grateful to the Minnesota Department of Administration and the United States Postal Service for their diligent work in tracking this mailing and intercepting it before it could disrupt the work of our office," Simon added. 

Two years ago, a suspicious package was delivered to the office with a return address that read, "United States Traitor Elimination Army." The package prompted an evacuation of the office for the day. It was later determined to be nonhazardous. 

Election Day is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3.