House Leadership Releases Statements On Threatening Letters Received By Lawmakers

Republican leadership in the Montana State House of Representatives released the below statements today following lawmakers receiving threatening letters containing an unknown white powder.

Representatives Rhonda Knudsen, R-Culbertson, and Neil Duram, R-Eureka, both received anonymous letters at their homes with local return addresses but post office markings from Kansas City. Inside the main envelopes were vague and threatening letters accompanied by a smaller envelope containing an unknown white powder.

Both representatives have reported that they feel fine and have not experienced any symptoms of a biological or chemical attack. Both letters are now in the possession of local law enforcement. The state attorney general and local law enforcement are investigating and working to test the powder to determine its composition. Attorney General Austin Knudsen is Rhonda Knudsen’s son.

Legislative leadership and legislative staff worked Friday night to notify all Montana legislators of the letters and warn them not to open any suspicious mail and to immediately report any suspect mail to law enforcement.

The anonymous letters received by Montana lawmakers appear to be similar to letters received by legislators in Kansas and Tennessee earlier this week.

House leadership released the following statements in response to the letters:

"Anonymous actions like this are not expressions of free speech but rather are cowardly attempts to coerce and harm elected officials. I will not be intimidated by these kinds of tactics. I also want to acknowledge the very quick response by the Roosevelt County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Jason Frederick sent a deputy to my residence and the deputy secured the letter and immediately removed it from my home.” -House Speaker Pro Tempore Rhonda Knudsen, R-Culbertson

"These letters mailed to Speaker Pro Tempore Rhonda Knudsen and Rep. Neil Duram containing an unknown substance are a continuation of the threats and hate directed at legislators during the session. We pray and hope that the white powder is benign while we await test results. Just as we stood firm during the session, we will not be threatened or distracted now. We are in tumultuous times and House leadership will continue our objective to protect Montanans' freedom and safety no matter what cowardly threats are directed at us.” -Speaker of the House Matt Regier, R-Kalispell

"I stand in support of our members and condemn any acts of intimidation directed at our citizen legislators.” -House Majority Leader Sue Vinton, R-Billings

A third suspicious letter addressed to a Montana lawmaker has been identified and turned over to law enforcement.

The latest letter was addressed to House Speaker Matt Regier at the State Capitol’s address. It was delivered to the Capitol several days ago and stored unopened in the House leadership offices. Staff knowledgeable of the letter flagged it as suspicious late last night and the Montana Highway Patrol took possession of it early this morning.

While the letter was not opened, the outside post markings follow the pattern of the first two letters addressed to Reps. Rhonda Knudsen and Neil Duram. The letter addressed to Speaker Regier has a local Helena return address but is stamped with Kansas City post markings and uses the same kind of stamp as previous letters.