An Arizona campaign office for Republican senate candidate Kari Lake was forced to evacuate on Tuesday after a campaign staffer opened an envelope with a “suspicious” substance with a note that warned anthrax was present.
The incident occurred at one of Lake’s Phoenix offices with a note that said “caution anthrax,” according to reports. Lake’s campaign immediately notified local authorities. A hazmat team arrived with local law enforcement agencies and firefighters. Workers were evacuated from the building.
Lake released a statement about the incident. She mentioned the previous attacks against her and her campaign and declared she would not be intimidated.
“The radical left, with help from the mainstream media, has escalated its attacks against me from baseless smears and legal harassment to physical threats. Today, my office received a suspicious envelope, potentially containing anthrax — an attempt to intimidate and silence me,” Lake said. “This isn’t just about me; it’s an attack on our movement. I won’t be intimidated, and those responsible must be brought to justice. The time to unite against these dangerous, un-American tactics is now.”
Tiffany Marie Brannon, a Kari Lake campaign strategist present at the office, gave the Washington Examiner her account.
“A girl on our staff was just doing her job and opening financial donation letters in our office after our staff meeting had ended, when she opened this one it had some kind of a powdery substance in it and on the paper,” Brannon said. “Then, she saw that the paper in the envelope had written on it that it was anthrax. I believe it said ‘anthrax spores’ or some iteration of that. The note conveyed that the sender was fully aware of the powdery substance, that it was intentionally placed in the envelope, and then told us in writing that it was a deadly substance.”
“A senior staffer was in the office at the time, and he just handled the whole situation beautifully and with such grace and calmness,” Brannon said. “He kept everyone calm and was like, ‘Unfortunately, we have dealt with this kind of thing before – no one move, don’t let anyone else come into the office, I’m calling the police and authorities, don’t worry it will all be OK.’”
“We moved to the empty office next door and waited for the authorities and first responders to come,” Brannon said. “At that point, no matter how much grit or bravery you have, you sort of start to internally hyperventilate. You google symptoms. You start to wonder if you are breathing OK, if your chest feels odd, or if your skin is itching. You start to slightly panic. You’re wondering how close you were to the powder in the air and how much you could have inhaled. Fear is real.”
“All these bizarre thoughts rush through your head. Most of the staff in the office were women – they almost all have small children, one is pregnant, most are wives,” the campaign strategist said. “So then you get mad and think, ‘What kind of person does this to another human being? Over what? Politics? Difference of opinions?’”
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The Phoenix Police Department tested the powdery substance and revealed it was “non-hazardous,” according to reports. No injuries or other health issues were reported among Lake’s campaign staff, who were able to return to the office later in the day.
“There were no immediate threats to the community, and the occupants of the building will be allowed access shortly. Investigators have been assigned,” the police department said in a statement.