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Ohio secretary of state, law enforcement investigating security threats

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose confirmed today that his office is one of at least 15 election offices nationwide that received a suspicious package from an unknown source, prompting the latest of several security threat investigations involving local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

The package is believed to contain a powdery substance that investigators in other states have found to be non-hazardous. The Ohio Secretary of State’s Public Integrity Division is coordinating with law enforcement on the matter, including agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Service.

“Fortunately, we were notified by our law enforcement partners to be on the lookout for this package, and we were able to intercept it before it reached our office,” said Secretary LaRose. “The security of our employees and all election officials across Ohio is a top concern as we enter a critical period in the election cycle. We’ve now seen two assassination attempts directed at a presidential candidate, and the FBI is actively investigating several threats here in Ohio. We need to lower the temperature of our political discourse and send a clear, bipartisan message that we resolve our elections in this country with ballots not bullets.”

Separately, Governor Mike DeWine recently approved additional security protection for Secretary LaRose, as multiple threats against the Secretary personally are now being actively investigated by authorities. Ohio law gives the governor the ability to extend to state officials executive protection services provided by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

“With less than 50 days until the Nov. 5, 2024 general election, we are seeing a disturbing trend continue – the second assassination attempt of a presidential candidate, and threatening and intimidating actions towards election officials,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who serves as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), in a statement. “Time and time again, NASS has condemned threats towards election officials and workers. We have continually spoken out against previous suspicious letters sent and the first assassination attempt of a former president and current presidential candidate. This must stop, period. Our democracy has no place for political violence, threats or intimidation of any kind.”

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