An employee of an Illinois lawmaker suddenly fell ill Monday after opening a letter addressed to the lawmaker.
The employee, who works for Democratic state Rep. Barbara Hernandez at her office in Aurora, was opening mail addressed to their boss from prison inmates when they felt ill and went to the bathroom, CBS News reported. The Aurora Illinois Police Department (AIPD) was summoned along with other emergency services to the office and they seized the mail as evidence.
“The employee has been transported to an area hospital and is currently in stable condition. While it is not yet known if the mail in question was a factor in the employee’s condition, out of an abundance of caution, the building was evacuated, and emergency crews are currently on scene,” AIPD said in a statement published Monday on social media.
Investigators say they found a suspicious substance on the letter and are continuing their investigation, CBS News reported.
“The investigators are going to recover the letter. They’re going to analyze the substance. They’re going to look at the postmark and then they’ll be moving backwards toward who had access, who has been sending things in the past, are there other threats that have been made?” former FBI investigator Phil Andrew said.
“I want to thank all first responders for their hard work and support during todays incident … My team member who came in contact with the letter is in good spirits as they wait for testing results. It is unfortunate we live in this type of environment where we have to worry about these incidents. However, I’m very proud and grateful for my team and the first responders for the quick action,” Hernandez wrote. (RELATED:Local Outlet Releases Bodycam Footage Showing Chicago Police Arresting Democratic Official For DUI)
She added that her office would remain closed Wednesday to allow her team to recover from the incident.
SICKENING MAIL? Aurora police say a staffer with State Rep. Barbara Hernandez’s office became ill after opening mail that apparently had a powdery substance inside of it Monday.
It caused a massive emergency response and an evacuation of several businesses in the building where… pic.twitter.com/888bEd61Dt
— Tre Ward ABC 7 (@TreWardTV) December 10, 2024
The Democratic lawmaker told ABC 7 that she was not present at the office when the incident occurred.
Hernandez was appointed to her current position in 2019, according to her website’s biography. She is the youngest Latina in Illinois’s General Assembly.
