Alabama Secretary of State’s office received ‘suspicious package’ in mail, investigation underway

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WBRC) - Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen’s office confirmed Friday it received a “suspicious package” Thursday afternoon, joining a growing list of reports of suspicious mail sent to election offices across the U.S.

“We can confirm that a suspicious package was received by the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office yesterday afternoon,” Allen’s office said in a statement released Friday. “The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Alabama National Guard Civil Support Team, and United States Postal Inspection Service responded to the Secretary of State’s Office immediately.”

Allen’s office says the Alabama National Guard-CST conducted extensive testing and found no dangerous or hazardous materials on or in the package, which is now in FBI custody.

“The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices,” said FBI Mobile spokesperson Jason Woodruff. “Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident. We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters. This FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to safeguard the public and secure elections for American citizens.”

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