This story by Quentin Young appeared on Colorado Newsline on September 17, 2024.
A suspicious package was sent to the Colorado Secretary of State but was intercepted at a mail facility in Denver Tuesday. The package contained a white powder that investigators say was harmless, according to a press release from the secretary’s office.
The incident mirrored several cases on Monday of election officials in other states receiving suspicious packages, including in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming.
“We cannot tolerate threats to election officials and public servants,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement. “These threatening mailings are unacceptable and we must condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms.”
The package was addressed to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office with a “U.S. Traitor Elimination Army” return address. It is being investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Colorado State Patrol.
Similar packages in other states caused temporary disruptions, such as in Kansas and Iowa, where state offices were evacuated after the mailings were discovered.
Election officials and experts have repeatedly warned that threats of political violence would be a feature of the 2024 election. Griswold, a Democrat who has been outspoken in debunking election misinformation, has been a frequent target of threats.