By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
As the number of suspicious letters containing a white powder that Kansas lawmakers received climbed to more than 100 over the weekend, two local legislators confirmed Monday, they did receive similar letters.
Reps. Barbra Wasinger, R-Hays, and Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, both confirmed to Hays Post Monday they received the suspicious letter.
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The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said Sunday initial tests showed the white powder inside the letters did not contain a biological agent and that further tests are being carried out on the suspicious powder.
Rahjes said he received and opened the letter on Friday. He said he believes it was the same letter that fellow Republican Paul Waggoner, who serves portions and Reno and McPherson counties received.
Rahjes said the return address on the letter he received had a “legitimate” Agra return address. He said he believed it was the Methodist Church in Agra.
Rahjes said it is not out of the ordinary for him to receive correspondence from constituents but called the letters disappointing and said his top concern was the safety of his family and making sure everything was safe.
“Any time you have to have a concern but it’s also you don’t need to overact and it’s disappointing,” Rahjes said.
He said he did not want to speculate on who was responsible for the letters but said he has full confidence in the KBI and the law enforcement community.
“I don’t want to give anybody any credit,” Rahjes said. “I will not give any credit or credence to any group. If they want to show their face and have a dialog then that’s fine. To do things like this, it is unfortunate.”
He added, “It's unfortunate that we are in a stage right now where public discourse is seemingly not wanted and we try to get out voice across with tactics like this,” Rahjes said.
Wasinger was already aware of the letters when she got her mail on Saturday and immediately contacted the KBI after finding the suspicious letter. The KBI responded within a little over an hour, and they were joined by the Kansas Highway Patrol and a bomb squad from western Kansas, Wasinger said.
The KBI took possession of the letter and Wasinger did not open it.
The letter she received, just like Rahjes and reportedly several others, had a return address connected to a local church. The return address on the letter Wasinger received was the Hays Christian Church.
She said she has been told all of the letters had the return address of a local church.
“I think it is very sad that they involved post office employees where they were touching things and sending things through the mail,” Wasinger said. “It was disappointing that someone would go to this level and try to scare as many people as they did, but I’m grateful for how everyone responded for us.”
Wasinger said she receives several voicemails and emails but “never expected this.”
She also said she did not think it was a very nice thing to do to potentially involve her family in the situation either.
Wasinger said she believes the letter was likely linked to the way she voted in the most recent legislative session.
Both Wasinger and Rahjes said they are waiting for an update from the KBI.