Daily Kos

UPDATE: Edwards campaign evacuates due to White Powder

Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 05:53:57 PM PDT

This just in, there isn't much else I can add at this point:

JOHN EDWARDS FOR PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN STATEMENT ON EVACUATION OF HEADQUARTERS

Chapel Hill, North Carolina - John Edwards for President Deputy Campaign Manager Jonathan Prince released the following statement today about the evacuation of the campaign’s headquarters.

"We received a letter this afternoon at our Chapel Hill headquarters which was opened by a member of our staff and contained a white powder. The health and safety of our staff and volunteers is obviously our paramount concern, so we contacted the authorities.  The authorities have asked us to evacuate while they run tests on the substance, and we have done so.

"Our staff continues to be connected and working from home and the campaign continues to operate at full speed.  We will pass along more information when we receive it."

UPDATE below the Fold

From CHPD:
At 4pm a staffer opened a legal size letter, with white powder.  They threw it into a plastic mail bin and called CHPD (Chapel Hill Police Department).
They took possession of the plastic bin, called OC Health Department, Regional Hazmat team, FBI, and CH Fire Department.

Hazmat is testing for radiation and chemicals (?).  After that, they will take it to the state Health Lab to test for....ricin, anthrax, etc.

UPDATE2:
It looks like it will be early morning before we know anything.  The tests will take 6 hours AFTER it reaches the State Health Lab.  So, they are still doing the initial radiation tests now, which means we're looking at early morning before everything is clear.

Tags: John Edwards, anthrax, sabotage, Recommended (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

Permalink | 199 comments