Death threat and white powder sent to office of investigator leading Trump probe
A death threat and a powdery substance was found in a mailroom at the offices of the New York investigator leading the probe into former US President Donald Trump.
Police and environmental protection officials removed the letter addressed to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and "determined there was no dangerous substance", Bragg's office said in a statement.
The substance has been sent to a lab for further testing, police say.
"Alvin, I am going to kill you," the letter reportedly reads, according to the Associated Press.
The letter was found in the same building where a grand jury - investigating hush money paid on Trump’s behalf during his 2016 campaign - is expected to resume work on Monday.
The letter was found a day before Donald Trump is set to hold his first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign in Waco, Texas.
Hours earlier, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that any criminal charge against him could lead to “potential death & destruction.”
Trump also posted a link to an article showing a photo of himself holding a baseball bat next to a picture of Bragg.
On Thursday, Trump referred to Bragg, Manhattan’s first Black district attorney, as a “Soros-backed animal.”
A joint statement from NYC leaders, including reverend Al Sharpton and former governor David Paterson, condemned the former president's remarks as "ugly, hateful and anti-American attacks on our judicial system".
"This disgraceful attack is not a dog-whistle but a bullhorn of incendiary racist and anti-semetic bile," the statement read.
In a memo to staff on Friday, Bragg said the office has also received offensive and threatening calls and emails.
He thanked his staff for persevering amid “additional press attention and security around our office“ and said their safety remains the top priority. Bragg wrote: “We will continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, which is what each of you does every single day."
Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for New York Mayor Eric Adams, released a statement on Friday night saying: “While we cannot comment on the specifics of any ongoing investigation, no public official should ever be subject to threats for doing his or her job.
"I’m confident that every elected official in the City, including Manhattan DA Bragg, will continue to do their work undeterred, and anyone found to be engaging in illegal conduct will be brought to justice.”
The building where the letter was found was not evacuated.
Security has however been heavy around the court buildings and district attorney’s office in recent days as the probe continues.
Additional police officers are on patrol, metal barricades have been installed on the footpaths, and bomb sniffing dogs have been making regular sweeps of the building.
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