Suspicious package sent to Rand Paul home appears nontoxic, sheriff says

The suspicious package that was sent to the Kentucky home of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) appears to be nontoxic, the local sheriff’s office revealed on Monday.

Preliminary analysis, according to a Facebook post from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, identified the substance as nontoxic.

Additional analysis, however, will be conducted on the substance and package, the sheriff’s office said.

The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) confirmed these developments in a statement to The Hill, writing that an initial test determined that the powdery substance in the package was not dangerous. The contents were taken to an FBI lab for further testing “as a precaution,” according to USCP.

A suspicious package containing an unidentified white powdery substance was delivered to Paul on Monday.

The package, which was a large envelope, according to Politico, also featured an image of Paul in bandages with a gun to his head. The image, according to Fox News, included text that read “I’ll finish what your neighbor started you motherf—er.”

The threat referred to an attack on Paul by his neighbor in 2017 that left him injured with five broken ribs. The senator was awarded nearly $600,000 in damages in 2019 as a result of the attack.

The sheriff’s office said it was contacted by U.S. Capitol Police Monday afternoon regarding the suspicious package. The envelope was removed and transported to the Bowling Green Fire Department, where it was analyzed by their WMD team.

USCP said it was notified of the letter at approximately 4:30 p.m.

The FBI and Capitol Police are investigating the package.

The Hill reached out to Paul, the FBI and Capitol Police for comment.

Paul wrote on Twitter on Monday that he takes the threats against him “immensely seriously.”

I take these threats immensely seriously. As a repeated target of violence, it is reprehensible that Twitter allows C-list celebrities to encourage violence against me and my family. https://t.co/e1rQ6uwPdf

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 24, 2021

His wife, Kelley Paul, revealed on Twitter that she “got the death threat letter” and subsequently called the FBI.

I got the death threat letter and called the FBI. This kind of violent threat is fomented against Rand daily by @ReallyAmerican1 , a Dem PAC that pays thugs like @mmpadellan to celebrate the assault that nearly killed Rand. @DNC ignores. @richardmarx was inciting more violence

— Kelley Paul (@KelleyAshbyPaul) May 25, 2021

Paul has emerged as a controversial figure amid the coronavirus pandemic, advocating against the use of masks once people have been infected with COVID-19 or have been vaccinated. He has also occasionally sparred with the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, Anthony Fauci, during congressional hearings.

On Sunday, the senator said he would not be getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

Paul was the first senator to test positive for the coronavirus in March 2020.

–Updated at 12:32 p.m.