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White-Powder Threats Went to Crist, McCain And S.D. Senate Candidate


According to reports from the Associated Press, a South Dakota newspaper and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, three Republican leaders—Gov. Charlie Crist, John McCain and South Dakota U.S. Senate nominee Joel Dykstra, have all received threatening letters this week containing non-toxic white powder.

But FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey said there’s no indication the Crist and McCain events are linked.

Authorities said letters were sent to McCain campaign offices in the Denver suburb of Centennial and in Manchester, N.H. Wednesday.

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports that postal officials there are offering a report of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for sending Dykstra’s campaign office a threatening letter Tuesday that contained a white substance later determined to be baby powder.

Bailey said Friday he is “satisfied that the governor is safe” despite the incident. He said the Division of Capitol Police mailing center, which screens about 4 million pieces of mail a year coming to the Capitol, discovered the letter to Crist. Preliminary testing indicates the powder was not toxic; further testing is being done.

“There was a direct threat to the governor in the letter; we do have persons of interest, we are pursuing that now,” Bailey said. “There had been some speculation that this may be related to similar letters that had gone to Sen. McCain As far as we can tell, they are not.”

He said the letter originated form south of Tallahassee and contained a name and address, yielding “significant leads,” though not necessarily the identity of the perpetrator. He said he expects more leads after forensic testing of the letter.


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