Envelope with white powder sent to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas prompts hazmat response near City Hall
An envelope with white powder inside sent to the Cook County Treasurer's Office prompted a hazmat response to the government building next to Chicago City Hall Thursday morning.
The Chicago Fire Department said a level 1 hazmat response was initiated at 118 North Clark after the envelope was found around 10:45 a.m.
The envelope was addressed to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas at her office in the building at 118 N. Clark Street. Pappas told CBS News Chicago that a mail room worker opened the envelope and found white powder inside. The letter was postmarked in Carol Stream.
The worker put the envelope into a plastic bag as 911 was called and firefighters hazmat team responded.
"Inside is nothing except white powder, so he's smart and immediately puts it in a plastic bag to contain it because you don't know what it is," Pappas said.
Pappas said they quickly determined the substance was baking soda and not threatening. She told CBS News Chicago she believes it was sent by a constituent angry about property taxes, and not connected to a wider nationwide investigation into letters with "suspicious substances" being mailed to congressional and election offices.
"Hazmat, fire department, police department completely solved it within 45 minutes that it was in fact baking soda," she said. "Unless you respond swiftly and quickly, what happens is that this pervasive sense of fear permeates."
The national investigation by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The notice, sent to Senate offices, said that law enforcement officials were working to intercept any additional letters, but "it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations."
"I don't think this is an election issue, I think this is probably an angry taxpayer who wants to disrupt the operation of the office," Pappas said about the incident at her office Thursday. But she said the intent is the same: to intimdate and spread fear.
"He needs to get to a mosque, a synagogue and church and pray for his wellbeing because this is insanity terrorizing people like this," she said.
The FBI wouldn't comment specifically on the letter sent to Pappas, but did say in a statement that they are working with local law enforcement on several cases around the country to try and find those responsible for mailing the letters."
The large building that houses Chicago City Hall also houses Cook County government offices, including the treasurer's office, the assessor's office and Cook County Board offices. It was initially not clear if the hazmat response was for City Hall or the Cook County building.
Shortly before 4 p.m., another Chicago Fire Department hazmat team responded to a reported suspicious package at 69 W. Washington St., which does house the city's Board of Elections office. Police and fire officials have not said whether there was any bona fide threat at that location.
