The U.S. Postal Service’s law enforcement arm is investigating an attempt to send feces to Ohio Republican state senators.
According to numerous reports, the United States Postal Service in Cleveland and Akron and mailroom employees in the Statehouse intercepted the mail before it arrived at the offices of the state lawmakers.
A spokesman for the GOP lawmakers detailed that the motivation behind the attempt is unclear, as no letter or specific disagreements were enclosed.
“This type of biohazard attack doesn’t just stop with the people it’s directed towards,” spokesperson John Fortney said. “This is something that could potentially affect every single employee at the Ohio Statehouse, regardless of their political affiliation.”
Despite the attempt, the lawmakers were in recess; therefore, they were not present at the Ohio Statehouse.
So far, no reports have detailed any similar actions taken against members of the Ohio House of Representatives.
“I think political discourse has really taken a turn in the last decade,” said state Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) to News 5 Cleveland. “I’m more concerned that this act, along with some of the language in social media that we’ve all been seeing, whether it’s regarding the Dobbs case or gun control issues or any number of hot button issues, people have to understand that there’s a way to make your opinions known to your legislators.”
“These people are intellectually deficient, as I like to call them. They’re not being very good communicators because they did not make their issue clear.”
Following the incident, lawmakers were warned to be careful when opening mail at their personal addresses.
In addition to the federal investigation, which could result in charges, the Ohio Highway Patrol has been notified.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “USPS Mailbox” by An Errant Knight. CC BY-SA 4.0.
