Raul Grijalva's Office On Lockdown After Swastika-Covered Suspicious Package Arrives

The office of Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) has been locked down due to the presence of a suspicious package covered with swastikas, according to reports. KVOA reports that an "envelope containing white powder" was mailed to Grijalva's Tucson office. Bomb technicians are reportedly on hand.

Grijalva told KVOA that the substance is toxic and Keith Olbermann tweeted that the Congressman would confirm that durring an appearance on "Countdown."

According to the Arizona Daily Star, the envelope was decorated with multiple swastikas and included a "white powdery substance" inside. No one at the office has been injured, Politico reports, which also claims that the FBI is now involved in the investigation.

Grijalva has served in the House since 2003. He was reelected in 2008 with 63% of the vote.

More to come..

Comments

[rak6748]

02:42 AM on 10/24/2010

What a HOAX...turns out they sent it to themselves to cover up voter fraud story...

"Just hours after the Yuma Sun reports that 3000 voter registrations had been dumped at the Yuma County Recorder’s Office by a group affiliated with the SEIU (with most of them subsequently found to be fraudulent), Raul Grijalva’s office received a suspicious package covered in swastikas with a white powder inside."

"Raul Grijalva part-time staffer Emily Romero has repeatedly bragged to Democratic insiders that the campaign concocts these threats to take attention away from bad publicity. In this case, the campaign decided to fake a “terrorist attack” on themselves to cover up the story of voter fraud that had just broken."

http://www.publiuspundit.com/?p=3376

"Powder mailed to Grijalva's office wasn't toxic"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/22/AR2010102204097.html

[lindaj3884]

11:40 PM on 10/23/2010

I guess this is the new Republican strategy. If you cant win legally send toxins.

[DiplomaticAmerican]

01:07 PM on 10/24/2010

Gee , and Grijalva's is head of the progressive caucus , socialist,in the Democratic Party . In spite of him saying so, the FBI always said it wasn't toxic.

His staffers should go to jail for this. How much did it cost,in man hours and Equipement for this sham?

It is a Felony to make false reports to Capitol Police and FBI

So how was this a Republican strategy?

[mairez]

09:42 PM on 10/23/2010

Anyone could have sent that package. Someone is trying to make the Tea Party look bad, just like they did with their bogus signs at the rallies. I'll bet the white powder was flour. Swastikas. Too much.

[scorpioman]

07:42 PM on 10/23/2010

Arizona.....great place to vacation!

[Paperless Tiger]

06:14 PM on 10/23/2010

That's easy, Return to Sender.

[radmo]

05:08 PM on 10/23/2010

Lots of assumptions being made yet again, pretty much covering the spectrum. I don't suppose anyone would have the patience to wait until some facts are known before pronouncing sentence?

Personally I think this was wholly conceived and carried out by foil-hated, UFO driving aliens just to see how many fingers get pointed in how many directions.

[idyllick]

03:09 PM on 10/23/2010

I am re-posting this, so you can see just how hypocritical the R/Tea party is:

Here’s a portion –

Back in 2004, a group of Arizona politicians led by Pearce publicly proposed
a boycott against Arizona businesses.

Speaking at the State Capitol in 2004 Sen. Pearce called for a boycott of Bank One and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/EJMontini/101526

[heckmepitus]

02:07 PM on 10/23/2010

Some Democrat sent it to make trouble.

[murphysgirl]

11:39 AM on 10/23/2010

Another reason why the teabaggers have hijacked civility in America.

[Angelm215]

01:52 PM on 10/23/2010

The day before the toxic envelope arrived at Grijalva’s Tucson office, the Yuma Sun reported that two organizations — SEIU’s Mi Familia Vota and One Vote Arizona — had delivered 3,000 new voter registrations to the Yuma County Recorder‘s Office in Grijalva’s district.
On the same day the envelope arrived at Grijalva’s office, the Court Recorder’s Office found more than 65 percent of these ballot registrations to be fraudulent, either belonging to individuals living in the country illegally or addressed incorrectly.
Also, the FBI has determined that the powder was NOT toxic. But yet even the same day he finds out it's not, he still goes on interviews saying it is.
Raul Grijalva part-time staffer Emily Romero has repeatedly bragged to Democratic insiders that the campaign concocts these threats to take attention away from bad publicity. In this case, the campaign decided to fake a “terrorist attack” on themselves to cover up the story of voter fraud that had just broken.

[rak6748]

09:36 PM on 10/23/2010

F/F for facts. This guy is an open borders AZ belongs to Mexico TRAITOR.

[skepticliberal]

11:31 AM on 10/23/2010

Arizona seems to be a place to live.

[beachmaster]

07:49 AM on 10/23/2010

1) Was it a suspicious package, covered with swastikas, or an envelope with a white powdery substance, covered with swastikas .. or BOTH?? Who would accept such a delivery??
2) Grijalva said that the substance was "toxic". Is the lab report available?? What IS the "toxic substance and how does Grijalva know that?
3) Who handles/delivers a package (if it IS a package,) that is covered in swastikas .. UPS? FEDEX?? USPS???
4) The USPS would NOT handle, move, or deliver any item like THAT. It would call in a postal inspector.
Lots of odd things about his story ......

[p456]

12:50 PM on 10/23/2010

The only thing odd about this story is your amateurish detective work and question asking. The story never mentioned who delivered the package.

[rak6748]

09:37 PM on 10/23/2010

He delivered it to himself to cover up the story of voter fraud.

[mutton]

08:52 PM on 10/23/2010

There were no swastikas on the outside of the envelope, as was first reported. There were two pieces of papers inside the envelope that had swastikas on them. The "toxic powder" was in a small baggie. The field test performed by the fire department indicated it was a toxic compound. Later tests revealed that it was an analgesic compound, which, when sold commercially, is known as Tylenol.

[Osusuki]

07:33 AM on 10/23/2010

I guess this package was sent by people who have been listening to Stephen Broden (loony tea bag candidate in Texas 30). Seditious conspiracy, anyone?

[davyj0nes]

07:14 AM on 10/23/2010

very scary times for arizona, i wouldn't be surprised if it was sent by russel pierce himself. truly, arizona conservatives are of the devil. they care nothing for this state. I can only hope we vote enough democrats into the state government to begin moving forward.

[tempting]

01:39 AM on 10/23/2010

I knew they would revert to this. The rethugs know they can't bully everyone so they are going back to their tried and true jim crow ways.

[joeMet]

11:01 PM on 10/22/2010

I doubt the box an mystery powder is the worst offense directed on this congressman since he went on record supporting (insisting on, actually) a nationwide boycott of his consituents and their businesses, not to mention all other businesses in the state of AZ.
Yet ANOTHER Democrat going off the tracks.

[speckitis]

02:12 AM on 10/23/2010

Backlash to SB1070 has attributed to up to a 60% decline in the economies of Arizona cities which are actually on the border. The city councils of Nogales, Douglas, and Yuma have all denounced SB1070 as well as Bisbee, Tucson, and Flag. SB1070 was written by a bunch of scared white folk in Phoenix who are themselves transplants from other states. Grijalva did his job and represented his constituents in denouncing a law that smacks of racism. Think I'm being over-the-top? Check out Arizona's Prop 107 which will allow discrimination on the basis of race and religion. Their words, not mine.

[Christopher Bullivant]

05:47 PM on 10/23/2010

Bullshit. Prop 107 eliminates affirmative action programs, ending preferential treatment of women and minorities in a number of areas, including education, contracting, and employment.

There's a difference between eliminating state sanctioned racism/sexism and allowing discrimination. Or, do you believe that women and minorities are somehow entitled to preferential treatment?

Discrimination of any flag offends my senses, and I can't in good conscience allow it to continue without resistance.

[joeMet]

08:32 PM on 10/23/2010

Yeah, he did his job. Then, he went over the top. I to this day (whatever the actual impact) am totally confused by the knee-jerk call by Grijalva and others to boycott his own state, during a major recession, no less.
The NYTimes in an op-ed about the time sb1070 came out cheered the national response to boycott AZ's "lifeblood convention industry." How nice. And what represents that lifeblood? Well, let's see. Hospitality Industry workers, cab drivers, caterers - many being mom 'n pops - even many hispanic ones - that depend on tourist and convention activity. And Grijalva wants to bring that to halt to make his point.
Sorry, I still fail to get it.