ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Thursday announced reported threats against election officials in Georgia.
Authorities are trying to determine who sent letters filled with fentanyl or other substances to local election offices across the country, the Associated Press reported. In a press conference, Raffensperger said his office was alerted yesterday that one of the five envelopes was sent to the Fulton County elections office. The mail is still in transit, and office staff are reportedly being trained on how to use Narcan, which can reverse drug overdoses.
Officials do not know what is in the envelope, but they “have to assume the worst and be prepared,” Raffensperger said.
“Some people like to call fentanyl a drug. It’s actually poison. It’ll kill you very quickly, very easily,” he added, saying he lost his son to a fentanyl overdose five years ago.
There is no immediate indication that any other election office in Georgia was a target for the letters, according to an advisory sent by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency and obtained by The Associated Press. Fulton County officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A U.S. Department of Justice spokesperson said the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating, but had no further comment.
It was not immediately clear how authorities came to suspect that a letter might have been sent to the Fulton County election office or whether similar ones went to election offices in other states. In the advisory Thursday, Georgia officials warned counties to take precautions when handling mail.
“Dealing with suspicious mail threats targeting election offices is a critical concern for maintaining the personal safety of election personnel and the integrity and security of the electoral process,” the advisory said.
Raffensperger said “domestic terrorists” will not stop the public’s right to a fair…
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