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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Threatening Mailing to Minnesota Secretary of State Intercepted as Federal Authorities Investigate Suspicious Letters Nationwide
SAINT PAUL, MN (October 18, 2026). A threatening letter containing unidentified white powder was intercepted before reaching Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon’s office Friday, adding Minnesota to a federal investigation into suspicious mailings directed at election and government offices.
The Minnesota Department of Administration discovered the mailing October 16. The Secretary of State’s office said the United States Postal Inspection Service had taken possession of the item and was testing its contents.
The office’s announcement did not identify the powder, disclose a test result or name a sender.
Simon condemned threats against election workers and said the office would continue supporting local officials administering elections across Minnesota. He thanked state administration staff and postal authorities for intercepting the item before it disrupted the office’s work.
Other Minnesota Offices Report Suspicious Letters
The Minnesota incident is part of a wider investigation involving the FBI, Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police.
MPR News and The Associated Press reported that a suspicious letter addressed to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s Minnesota office was also intercepted. A spokesperson said no one in the office was in immediate danger.
U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison also reported a letter containing a suspicious substance at her Minnesota district office. She thanked Plymouth police and fire personnel for their response.
According to the reporting, federal authorities were working to intercept additional letters addressed to congressional and election offices around the country. Some incidents elsewhere prompted evacuations.
The FBI said investigators were trying to identify the person or people responsible. These reports establish a broader investigation, but they do not establish the identity or motive of the sender of the Minnesota Secretary of State mailing.
Testing Remains Central to the Account
An unidentified powder should not be described as a confirmed toxin or other hazardous substance without laboratory findings.
The Minnesota announcement reviewed for this report provides no such identification. Test results from a different state would not establish what was contained in the item addressed to Simon’s office.
The interception also means the mailing should not be described as having entered that office or interrupted its operations. State officials specifically credited the response with preventing a disruption.
The incident occurred as Minnesota entered its final weeks of voting before the November 3 general election. It concerns the safety of public employees and mail handling; the cited announcements do not report an effect on ballot counts.
The FBI’s public election-security guidance encourages reporting suspected election crimes and threats. Immediate danger should be reported to 911 or local police, while information about possible federal election crimes can be submitted to the FBI.
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