More US congressional offices report suspicious letters and evacuations

Oct 17, 6:26 AM UTC

October 16 incidents disrupt some offices; one letter found harmless

Four Chicago-area congressional offices received suspicious letters on October 16, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Mike Quigley’s office was evacuated as a precaution; law enforcement found no harmful substance in Brad Schneider’s letter. Senator Mike Rounds separately said his Sioux Falls office was evacuated and closed for the remainder of the day after receiving suspicious mail. GBH/AP reported that five Massachusetts House members also said they had received letters. Massachusetts Secretary William Galvin said the state’s Elections Division continued working uninterrupted after a letter was identified before reaching its office. These accounts distinguish documented disruption from confirmed hazardous contents: the harmless finding in Schneider’s case does not resolve the other mailings.

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