Safety menace prompts shutdown of Kari Lake marketing campaign headquarters in Phoenix By Reuters

By Steve Gorman

(Reuters) – The supply of an envelope containing a suspicious white powder prompted the Arizona gubernatorial marketing campaign of Republican nominee Kari Lake to close down its Phoenix headquarters two days earlier than the election, the marketing campaign mentioned in an announcement on Sunday.

The envelope in query, opened by a member of Lake’s employees, was one in all two confiscated by legislation enforcement for evaluation in Quantico, Virginia, web site of an FBI forensics laboratory, after the incident was reported, in response to the assertion.

The employees member “is at present beneath medical supervision,” the assertion mentioned, including that the marketing campaign was awaiting outcomes of the evaluation.

The Phoenix Police Division mentioned in a separate assertion that nobody was reported injured, and that an investigation of “suspicious objects situated contained in the mail” was persevering with.

The disruption got here at a vital second for the Lake marketing campaign, locked in a good race for governor with the Democratic nominee, Katie Hobbs, at present serving as Arizona’s secretary of state. Lake, a onetime tv information anchor, has embraced former President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud and has gained his endorsement.

“Simply two days earlier than Election Day, our marketing campaign headquarters stays shut down,” the Lake marketing campaign assertion mentioned. “Relaxation assured, we’re taking this safety menace extremely significantly.”

The FBI’s discipline workplace in Phoenix mentioned its brokers and native legislation enforcement responded on Sunday morning to “a report of suspicious letters” on the location of the Phoenix marketing campaign headquarters.

Neither the FBI assertion, nor the Phoenix police, referred to Lake or her marketing campaign by identify.

Additionally, the FBI mentioned legislation enforcement’s response got here on Sunday, whereas the marketing campaign’s assertion mentioned the suspicious envelope had been opened “yesterday,” or Saturday. There was no quick rationalization for the obvious discrepancy.

Hobbs condemned the habits directed at her opponent, issuing an announcement calling the incident “extremely regarding,” including, “I’m grateful that she (Lake) and her employees weren’t harmed,” CNN reported.

“Political violence, threats, or intimidation don’t have any place in our democracy,” CNN quoted Hobbs as saying.

The incident got here almost two weeks after a housebreaking of Hobbs’ marketing campaign headquarters. A suspect was arrested two days later.

Hobbs’ marketing campaign has criticized Lake for failing to sentence threats to election staff and voters, saying the Republican candidate’s harsh rhetoric and acceptance of Trump’s election falsehoods created circumstances for such a housebreaking to happen.

Lake has referred to as any try to blame her marketing campaign for the break-in “completely absurd.”

At a marketing campaign occasion final week, she additionally mocked the latest assault on U.S. Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband by a hammer-wielding intruder at their San Francisco dwelling.

Though Nancy Pelosi has safety round her, “apparently her home does not have quite a lot of safety,” Lake mentioned, drawing laughs from a crowd of supporters.