NEW YORK (AP) – An envelope containing a suspicious white powdery substance caused a scare when it was opened at a campaign office of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, but it later was deemed to be harmless.
The envelope was mailed to Manhattan’s Trump Tower, near Central Park, police said. A campaign staffer opened the envelope Thursday night and immediately called police.
Five Trump staff members working in the office and a police officer who responded were temporarily isolated and evaluated. The substance was tested, and a few hours later authorities said it wasn’t hazardous but it would need to be tested some more for them to determine what it is.
Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks referred questions about the brief scare to the U.S. Secret Service, which didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Powders sent through the mail have been cause for concern since at least 2001, when anthrax-tainted letters were sent to media outlets and offices, killing five people.