Federal probe expands as GOP senators confirm receipt of suspicious letters

A federal investigation into suspicious letters mailed to elected officials has expanded to include several Republican senators, according to a person with direct knowledge of the case. Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, and Mike Rounds of South Dakota confirmed their offices received mailings containing an unknown white powder.

The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are leading the inquiry, which now encompasses at least 26 state election offices and 22 offices of congressional Democrats. Officials stated that most letters were intercepted before delivery, and preliminary field tests indicated the powder was not hazardous, though further laboratory analysis is underway.

The mailings arrive less than three weeks before Election Day, a period when threats against election workers have increased in recent years. Law enforcement has not yet traced the exact origins of the letters or identified the senders, though sources described the scope of the incident as significant.

Read the full story at NBC News.