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Secret Service Cites Suspicious Material in Letter to Obama Secret Service Cites Suspicious Material in Letter to Obama
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON – A letter addressed to President Obama, containing a suspicious substance, was intercepted at a screening facility outside the White House, the Secret Service said on Wednesday. WASHINGTON — A letter addressed to President Obama, containing a suspicious substance, was intercepted at a screening facility outside the White House, the Secret Service said on Wednesday.
The letter was received on Tuesday – similar timing to the letter addressed to Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, which tested positive for ricin. The letter had similar markings and is similar in appearance to the one addressed to Mr. Wicker, according to a law enforcement official. The letter was received on Tuesday — similar timing to a letter addressed to Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, that tested positive for ricin. The letter addressed to the president had similar markings and was similar in appearance to the one addressed to Mr. Wicker, according to a law enforcement official.
The Secret Service did not disclose what was in the letter or provide any details, saying it was intercepted in a facility that “routinely identifies letters or parcels that require secondary screening or scientific testing before delivery.”The Secret Service did not disclose what was in the letter or provide any details, saying it was intercepted in a facility that “routinely identifies letters or parcels that require secondary screening or scientific testing before delivery.”
The mailing facility is not close to the White House grounds, the Secret Service said. An official said the Secret Service is working with the United States Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The mailing facility is not close to the White House grounds, the Secret Service said. An official said the Secret Service was working with the Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Parts of Senate office buildings have been cleared because of suspicious packages, showing a heightened anxiety on Capitol Hill. But the Capitol Police said they were not aware that a second suspicious letter to a member of Congress had been intercepted. ABC News reported that a second letter had been received. On Capitol Hill, the Hart Senate Office Building was shut down late Wednesday morning, with no one allowed to enter, but the building was not evacuated. Capitol Police officers were yelling at staff members in the hallways to get back in their offices.
“Apparently there was a package over there, and they said to walk the way I have,” Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, said as he left the Hart building heading to the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The Capitol Police confirmed that a suspicious package was found on the atrium level of the Hart building, as well as on the third floor of the Russell Senate Office Building.
They also said that officers were talking to a man in the Hart building about the suspicious packages.
Senator Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan, also released a statement on Wednesday saying that a suspicious letter had been found at his office in Saginaw. After the letter found to contain ricin was sent to Mr. Wicker, the senators were briefed on protocol for their state offices to follow if they received a suspicious letter.
“Earlier today, a staffer at my Saginaw regional office received a suspicious-looking letter,” said the statement released by Mr. Levin’s office. “The letter was not opened, and the staffer followed the proper protocols for the situation, including alerting the authorities, who are now investigating. We do not know yet if the mail presented a threat. I’m grateful for my staff’s quick response and for government personnel at all levels who are responding.”