A staffer for Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake opened an envelope containing white powder, prompting the closure of Lake’s office two days before the midterm elections.
CNN reported that on Oct. 6, Colton Duncan, Lake campaign spokesman, said two envelopes were confiscated by law enforcement and were sent to the FBI headquarters at Quantico for examination. Later that evening, Lake told reporters “apparently there’s a closer lab [that Quantico] and that’s where they actually sent the substance, so we’re going to find out what it was.”
“Officers responded to a found property call at an office building near 40th St. and Camelback Road,” Sgt. Phil Krynsky of the Phoenix Police Department told ABC News. “When officers arrived, they learned there were suspicious items located inside the mail. Additional resources responded to collect the items and secure the area. There have been no reports of injury and the investigation remains active.”
Phoenix police and fire departments told reporters that no one was injured. The campaign staffer who opened the envelope is under medical supervision as a precaution, according to the campaign.
Kari Lake is running against Democrat Katie Hobbs in a closely watched race for Arizona governor. Lake has a two-point lead over Hobbs in the latest RealClearPolitics poll.
“Rest assured, we are taking this security threat incredibly seriously and we are thankful for the Phoenix PD, FBI, first responders, bomb squad, and hazmat crews that responded to this incident,” said Duncan. “In the meantime, know that our resolve has never been higher and we cannot be intimidated. We continue to push full speed ahead to win this election on Tuesday.”
The suspicious package arrival comes just two weeks after the Phoenix campaign office of Hobbs was burglarized. Hobbs responded to the news of the suspicious packages at Lake’s office with concern and a denunciation of violence.
“The reported incident at Kari Lake’s campaign office is incredibly concerning and I am thankful that she and her staff were not harmed,” Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs told AZ Family. “Political violence, threats, or intimidation have no place in our democracy. I strongly condemn this threatening behavior directed at Lake and her staff.”
