Envelopes with suspicious substance force evacuations at Maryland, Virginia congressional offices

LEESBURG, Va. - Two D.C.-area lawmakers said letters containing a suspicious substance were sent to their offices. It comes after federal law enforcement officials launched an investigation into suspicious mailings sent to election offices across the U.S. 

What we know:

On Monday, U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam said a suspicious letter was delivered to his district office in Leesburg. 

"I can confirm that my office in Leesburg received an envelope containing a suspicious substance," Subramanyam said in a statement Monday. "The office was promptly evacuated. Thank you to the Leesburg Police, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue and their Hazmat team, and the Capitol Police for your swift response. These acts of political intimidation have no place in our country."

On Monday evening, Rep. Steny Hoyer said he also received a potentially hazardous letter at his district office in Greenbelt, Maryland, saying it was "similar to those received by public officials across the country."

Hoyer said his office was evacuated, and his staff members are safe.

"My district office staff work hard every day to deliver critical services to Marylanders across the Fifth Congressional District. It is unacceptable that their lives were put in danger. Intimidation efforts such as these are un-American and pose an existential threat to our democracy. We must not - and will not - allow them to prevent us from fulfilling our commitment to serving our communities," Rep. Hoyer said in a statement. 

Dig deeper:

The incidents come days after the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating a string of suspicious mail sent to various addresses, including the Secretary of State offices. 

READ MORE | FBI, postal service investigate suspicious letters sent to election offices with DSA return address

Officials did not share details about the substance included in the letters. However, an internal email obtained by FOX 5 DC warned staff about a "white powder substance found inside."

Last week, an email notice from the U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms said that law enforcement officials were working to intercept additional letters before delivery but warned that some mailings may still reach their destinations.

Officials said the letters had a return address for the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) headquarters in New York City, but it remains unclear if the DSA had any involvement in sending the letters. 

NewsVirginia PoliticsLeesburgMaryland PoliticsMarylandGreenbelt