Utah's LG says Postal inspector intercepts letter with suspicious powder meant for her office

SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted an envelope with a "suspicious white powder and threatening letters" meant for Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson's office, Henderson announced Sunday.

The envelope is one of several that have been sent to election officials across the country and congressional offices in the run-up to the November midterms. Some of the envelopes have contained similar unknown substances.

"Last week, state election officials around the country began receiving envelopes containing suspicious white powder and threatening letters," Henderson wrote on Threads. "Today, our local postal inspector was able to intercept ours and hand it off to the FBI before it could be delivered to my office. We are grateful for his diligence and service!

"Also, nothing is going to disrupt the midterm election," she added. "We won't let it happen."

In response to another user late Sunday, Henderson said officials don't yet know what the substance is, "but powder in other similar letters was non-toxic. Just a scare tactic. Didn't work." A spokesperson for her office said the substance had not been identified as of Monday morning.

This isn't the first time Utah's top election official has been targeted with threatening mail. FBI agents intercepted a similar letter filled with white powder in September of 2024, less than two months before that year's election.

The envelopes were sent as political tensions around elections have risen, as President Donald Trump has made unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud and his administration has sought access to personal voter data from dozens of states, including Utah.

Henderson has repeatedly resisted attempts from the U.S. Department of Justice to gain access to Utah's full voter rolls, something she says she is prevented from providing under state law.

At least nine Democrats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have had their offices targeted with letters like the one meant for Henderson's office, according to CBS News. At least two Senate Republicans were also sent letters.

The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the envelopes, Brendan Donahue, deputy chief inspector at the USPIS, told CBS News.

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