A threatening letter containing an unidentified white powder was sent to a campaign office for Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain in a south Denver suburb on Thursday, authorities said. No sicknesses were immediately reported.
A second letter sent to a McCain campaign office in New Hampshire initially was reported to contain threatening language and white powder.
Authorities said it was a false alarm and that there was no powder in the second envelope.
At least 19 people were examined at hospitals or were quarantined outside the Colorado office while authorities tried to determine whether the powder was hazardous, but everyone was sent home by late on Thursday, said Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson. He said the substance was not hazardous and not lethal, but that it would take days before they determined what it was.
Andy Lyon of the Parker South Metro Fire Rescue Authority said the return address on the envelope listed the Arapahoe Detention Center and the name of an inmate.
Sheriff’s officials said the inmate suspected of sending the letter with the substance was Marc Harold Ramsey, 39, who had been incarcerated since last September on investigation of felony menacing, harassment and second-degree assault on a peace officer. Ramsey may face federal felony charges for Thursday’s incident, sheriff’s officials said.
Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama on Thursday depicted John McCain as rich, out of touch and less a foreign-policy expert than he claims.
At a town hall meeting here, Obama was introduced by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.
Speaking to supporters, Obama chided McCain for an interview he gave to the Politico Web site where he said he didn’t know how many homes he owns. McCain’s wife, Cindy, is an heiress to a large beer distributorship whose wealth is estimated to be at least US$100 million.
Property records reviewed by The Associated Press show McCain and his family appear to own at least eight homes in three states.
“If you’re like me and you’ve got one house, or you are like the millions of people who are struggling right now to keep up with their mortgage so they don’t lose their home, you might have a different perspective,” Obama said.
Brian Rogers, a McCain spokesman, responded, saying: We’re delighted to have a debate on judgment with Barack Obama, who bought his own million-dollar mansion in a shady deal with a convicted felon.”
Rogers was referring to Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a businessman who has helped raise campaign money for Obama and many other Illinois politicians.
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