White powder incident at Arizona State Capitol under joint FBI, DPS investigation

PHOENIX - An envelope containing white powder prompted evacuations and a joint investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the FBI at the Arizona State Capitol's Executive Tower Thursday night.

What we know:

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes calls the incident a "targeted threat" after he says the Arizona Department of State received an envelope filled with white powder "that was opened by staff" on Oct. 15 at around 3:30 p.m.

"The Office has followed appropriate protocols by calling law enforcement and hazmat response, isolating the material and individuals who were exposed, evacuating all other employees, and shutting off floor access," Fontes said.

There are no reported injuries, and the investigation remains active, DPS spokesperson Bart Graves says.

The next day

Fontes says it was back to business as usual Friday for his office, but with a heightened sense of vigilance after the scene that unfolded Thursday night.

Fontes says the department had already increased security ahead of the midterms, but no one expected this. He says the envelope was not addressed to anyone specific other than the office.

"It wasn't like we were expecting it. But if it did happen, we knew how to react," Fontes said.

He says his office is trained for things like this, so following protocol, authorities cleared the floor, got hazmat on site, isolated that staffer and one other exposed employee, and locked down the area.

"The testing by the DPS lab revealed that it was not a hazardous substance, but they haven't told us exactly what it actually is," Fontes said.

Fontes has a strong message for whoever sent it.

"When you're threatening staff, when you're talking elections officials, the people who are actually working to ensure that every American, regardless of their party, get their vote, that's not political anymore. That's an act against our democracy. And in my view, that's what has to absolutely stop. You know, American politics has always been rough and tumble. Candidates are rough with each other sometimes," Fontes said. "The folks who are just clerks, like the one in my office opening the mail, they should never have to work in fear."

'We're just going to keep on doing our work'

"It's too bad there's still people that are that moronic to do stuff like that, but whatever they were trying to do failed because we're just going to keep on doing our work," Fontes said. "I think the number one reaction to this kind of intimidation from voters ought to be participation. We ought to show these folks who would try to commit violence against our systems, that we're engaged in them, that we're going to continue to do it and vote early, and get out there and show these guys that we're not going to be intimidated."

‘We will not be scared out of doing our jobs’

What they're saying:

The tower houses the offices of Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and other state officials.

"This is a sobering moment that highlights the reality of election administration in this country today. I am thankful for my staff that acted quickly and are taking the lead from law-enforcement and hazmat experts on a response to ensure the safety of my entire staff and our customers. We will not be scared out of doing our jobs on behalf of the voters of Arizona. As the election closes in, we know that threats will continue and we are on high alert to protect everyone on our team that is working overtime to serve Arizona," Fontes said just hours after the incident.

Gov. Hobbs released a statement about the investigation.

"Today, the Executive Tower was evacuated after a Hazardous Materials Incident. I'm glad that there are no reported injuries at this time and thankful to the first responders for their swift action," she said. "Threats against our hard-working public servants are unacceptable. Anybody responsible for threatening or intimidating elections officials should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

"This isn't a new age investigation that's gonna happen. This is an old school investigation because they're using the mail. It's not a cyber crime. So it's going to be a lot quicker, I would think, to get to a point to where they probably have a suspect or at least know where this stuff is coming from," said Jonathan Gilliam, a retired Navy SEAL and FBI special agent.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not identified the white powder. It remains unclear if the envelope contained a message.

Big picture view:

Federal law enforcement agencies are investigating suspicious letters sent to election and congressional offices across the country, advising recipients to handle the mail with extreme caution.

According to a Senate Sergeant at Arms notice obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, the FBI, U.S. Capitol Police, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are leading the joint probe. While authorities are attempting to intercept additional hazardous mailings, the notice cautioned Senate staff that some letters could still arrive at their intended destinations.

FBI releases statement

"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. 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," the FBI said.

Crime and Public SafetyArizona PoliticsNewsAdrian FontesPhoenixKatie Hobbs