It’s been a week and a half since the story first broke on June 17 that Republican lawmakers and officials in Kansas were receiving threatening lettered laced with white powder. The letters have turned up in the mailboxes of Republicans in Tennessee, Montana, and had been intercepted on their way to former President Trump and Justice Clarence Thomas, but still, NBC News has not dedicated a single second to the story on their flagship morning (Today) and evening (NBC Nightly News) newscasts.
CBS Evening News did do a 20-second-long news brief on the letters during their June 22 newscast but have not touched it since. CBS Mornings has not dedicated any time to it.
ABC had admirably been on top of the story since the beginning and had been doing updates when there had been significant developments, such as the discovery of the Trump and Thomas letters.
During Wednesday’s Good Morning America, they had an exclusive interview with the director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Tony Mattivi to give an update on the investigation. And according to the reporting of ABC senior investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky, investigators were bearing down on the person sending the letters:
KATERSKY: This morning, authorities are expressing confidence, whoever is behind scores of white powder letters will be caught.
MATTIVI: I can't discuss any of the specifics of the investigation, but I'm optimistic that we're gonna make an apprehension here.
After Katersky reiterated that it was Republicans who were receiving the letters, he warned that the resources and man-hours needed to safely handle the letters and conduct the investigation were taking away from deadly serious investigations including a missed fentanyl bust:
KATERSKY: The letters took so much of the KBI's attention, the director told us his agents missed the possible seizure of a substantial shipment of fentanyl.
MATTIVI: We have no idea how much fentanyl is out there in the community right now. We have no idea how many overdoses and deaths are going to take place. When we had a realistic likelihood of being able to intercept that shipment in the first place.
“In Kansas, there were so many recipients, about 100, police struggled to keep up,” Katersky reported. Mattivi recalled how “Every single bomb squad and hazmat unit was engaged in the investigation. That is just an incredible drain on law enforcement resources that, frankly, takes away from other investigative priorities.”
Katersky concluded by noting that the “authorities do not consider these letters harmless” since the powder “tested negative for any biological agent,” but reiterated that they’re damaging because of the diverted resources.
NBC’s silence on Wednesday was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Folgers and Citi. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
June 28, 2023
7:12:27 a.m. EasternREBECCA JARVIS: We turn to our ABC News exclusive on those mysterious letters with white powder. More than 100 of them sent to dozens of Republican lawmakers and political figures this month. Our senior investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky has the latest.
[Cuts to video]
AARON KATERSKY: This morning, authorities are expressing confidence, whoever is behind scores of white powder letters will be caught.
TONY MATTIVI (Kansas Bureau of Investigation, director): I can't discuss any of the specifics of the investigation, but I'm optimistic that we're gonna make an apprehension here.
KATERSKY: It's not clear who's sending these letters to Republican officials in Tennessee, Montana, and Kansas, or why. Officials say enclosed with a white powdery substance where cryptic notes reading “it's important not to choke on your ambition.” In Kansas, there were so many recipient, about 100, police struggled to keep up.
MATTIVI: Every single bomb squad and hazmat unit was engaged in the investigation. That is just an incredible drain on law enforcement resources that, frankly, takes away from other investigative priorities.
KATERSKY: The letters took so much of the KBI's attention, the director told us his agents missed the possible seizure of a substantial shipment of fentanyl.
MATTIVI: We have no idea how much fentanyl is out there in the community right now. We have no idea how many overdoses and deaths are going to take place. When we had a realistic likelihood of being able to intercept that shipment in the first place.
[Cuts back to live]
KATERSKY: That's why authorities do not consider these letters harmless, even though the powder they contain tested negative for any biological agent. For four days Kansas investigators could do nothing else.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: Aaron Katersky, thank you very much for that.
