DETROIT, MI — A wave of mailing attacks is targeting members of Congress and their staff offices, with white powder sent inside envelopes. This week, two lawmakers from metro Detroit were targeted, including this morning at the Southfield office of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.
Staff at Tlaib's Southfield office found a suspicious white powder inside an envelope. Speaking out just hours later, Tlaib said she refuses to be intimidated.
"These have been really rough times. Political violence has increased dramatically," Tlaib said.
"It hit about 4-5 members of Congress. We were all put on notice to look out for these letters coming to our mail. This is not the first time we have gotten awful things in the mail," Tlaib said.
Tlaib was also among many to condemn a similar incident this week, where another envelope with a white powder was mailed to the Detroit office of Michigan Congressman Shri Thanedar. In that case, the substance was found to not be harmful after being tested.
"Powdered bleach. Yeast. Really is to try and place fear among those in elected positions," Tlaib said.
Deputy Fire Chief Jason Daneau told me he's thankful the powder was not anything harmful to those exposed, and that staff followed protocol correctly by isolating it.
"It's a white powder. Consistent with what they've seen across the United States," Daneau said.
"We deployed our HAZMAT team to make sure everything was safe and accounted for," Daneau said.
The incidents come as a wave of similar acts led to an alert for lawmakers going out nationwide.
"Turned out to be something not a biological agent or anything hazardous," Daneau said.
When asked what she would say to the people responsible, Tlaib pointed to the nation's tradition of dissent.
"If you could speak to the people responsible for this what would you say? They need to understand we are in the USA. We are going to have political differences and dissent is one of the most important rights we have," Tlaib said.
I also reached Thanedar by phone, who condemned this type of threatening behavior once again. Southfield police are investigating to determine who could be responsible.
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