Kari Lake says suspicious powder is just latest security issue for her campaign

PHOENIX – Republican Kari Lake said Monday that the suspicious substance found at her Phoenix campaign office over the weekend is just the latest security issue she’s faced during her run for governor.

“It just shows you what dangerous times we’re living in,” she told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on the day before Election Day.

“This is not the first threat we’ve had; it won’t be the last.”

Authorities said Sunday they were investigating an envelope containing suspicious white powder that was opened at Lake’s office on Camelback Road near 40th Street.

Lake, who wasn’t there at the time, said staff who were present “are doing OK” so far.

“Apparently, it was a couple of letters, one that got opened up and some of the powder got out, and then it got thrown into a garbage can and got retrieved,” she said.

“So when you do all of that, it kind of gets moved around, and I know that it was concerning enough that the folks over at the FBI wanted to analyze it. We had police there, we had the bomb squad — did a sweep of the building.”

Lake said she’s been surprised at the level of security required during her campaign.

“I have had my tires slashed. I’ve had 4- and 5-inch screws drilled into my tires while I’m out campaigning and my car is parked,” she said. “It’s gotten so bad, it’s almost a joke how many times I’ve had to replace tires on this campaign trip because of things like this.

“We actually have to have somebody who physically watches the car while we’re inside campaigning now because people are trying to sabotage our safety and our security.”

Lake’s Democratic opponent, Katie Hobbs, also had a high-profile security incident at her campaign headquarters recently. Police said a man had items missing from Hobbs’ office with him when he was arrested for an unrelated burglary after a break-in at Hobbs’ Phoenix headquarters last month.

Lake said she doesn’t like having security that comes between her and the people she wants to represent as governor.

“I don’t want to be so hidden behind security that people can’t access me,” she said.

“But it is pretty frightening when you think about the level people will go,” she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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