A suspicious package was sent to the home parish of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating an envelope containing a white powder-like substance that was delivered Monday morning to Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, Lousiana, where Johnson and his family are active parishioners.
The Republican lawmaker's wife, Kelly Johnson, is a licensed pastoral counselor whose office is located there. Kelly is the owner and operator of Onward Christian Counseling Services, LLC (OCCS), and its nonprofit subsidiary, Onward Christian Education Services, Inc (OCES). On tax returns, the Baptist church is listed as the business address of Kelly's educational 501(c)(3) organization. It's also the physical location of Kelly's Bible-based counseling services, according to state business filings.
As a devout Christian, Johnson became the target of left-wing media vitriol when he won the House speakership in October.
Kelly was also the subject of national headlines after The Huffington Post published a report attacking her counseling group for its values. OCCS's since-deactivated website said in a statement of faith that marriage was exclusively a relationship between "one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture," and that "any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography or any attempt to change one's sex, or disagreement with one's biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God," per HuffPost.
The church's administrative office was evacuated and a HAZMAT unit was dispatched to investigate the scene. Deputies with the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office were the first to respond before Louisiana State Police and the FBI later joined the investigation.
FBI investigating after letter with white powder found at church in Benton; Speaker Mike Johnson’s office releases statement
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"At this point, field tests have been negative. Additional testing will be completed at local laboratories," the FBI's field office in New Orleans said in a press statement shared with Townhall. "Even sending a hoax letter is a serious crime," the FBI warned.
Johnson released a statement reacting to the incident, per local ABC affiliate KTBS-TV: "Speaker Johnson was made aware of a suspicious package sent to his home church in Louisiana. Speaker Johnson and the Johnson family thank U.S. Capitol Police, the FBI, the Louisiana State Police, and the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office for taking swift action and handling the situation professionally. As the investigation is ongoing, we will refer all further questions to law enforcement handling this matter."
Kelly, a former teacher and a practicing member of the National Christian Counselors Association, serves as an advisor of the Louisiana Right to Life Federation, where she used to be the North Louisiana director. For nearly 25 years, Kelly has served as a spokesperson for the pro-family movement across the state and beyond, leading women's ministries and speaking at Christian conferences. Mike and Kelly Johnson have both been named "Champions of the Faith" by the Southern Baptist Convention.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, or local law enforcement.
Lt. Matt Gaydos, a public information officer (PIO) for the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office, told Townhall that they're unable to provide any additional information or updates on the incident "due to the FBI taking over as the lead agency for the investigation."
The Louisiana State Police's public affairs department also referred Townhall to the FBI as the case's lead investigator.
The FBI's New Orleans field office said, "As this is an ongoing matter, no further details can be discussed at this time."
At the time of publication, Johnson's press office has not responded to Townhall's request for comment.