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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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The contents of threatening letters containing white powder that were sent to public officials across the country ahead of the midterm elections have been revealed in a court filing.
Robin Patrick Martin, 67, of Oklahoma, is charged with conveying false or misleading information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications. He was arrested on Monday and made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City on Tuesday before being returned to jail to await a detention hearing next week.
Newsweek has contacted the Federal Public Defender office, which represents Martin, for comment via email and is awaiting a reply.
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The letters "created unnecessary fear, diverted resources, and attempted to disrupt our nation’s democratic process," Doug Goodwater, FBI special agent in charge of the Oklahoma City field office, said in a statement.
"No one should have to wonder whether a letter in the mail poses a danger, and the arrest of Robin Martin demonstrates that those who seek to spread panic and intimidation cannot expect to remain anonymous."
Last month, federal authorities said that they were investigating letters with "suspicious substances" that were mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide. Some letters claimed to have been sent from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which denied involvement in the letters last month.
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Mailed packages containing a powdery substance led to the evacuation of election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma. Several other states said they either received letters or had them intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service.
In a court filing made public on Tuesday, the FBI said the investigation dated back to September 2024, when election officials in multiple states reported receiving mail with a white substance and a three-page letter.
In mid-October, the FBI responded to locations across the country where officials reported receiving mail containing "threatening communications and unknown powder," FBI agent David Cole wrote in an affidavit.
The investigation determined that more than 700 mailings "appeared to be associated with the same sender." The FBI said the powders were determined to be yeast or flour, though it said not all letters have been fully tested.
What Did the Letters Say?
The affidavit said the content of the letters sent in October varied based on the intended recipient, but all pertained to the 2026 elections. They were addressed to state election boards, members of Congress, pollsters, media organizations and the FBI, it added.
The affidavit said a common message in both the 2024 and 2026 mailings was a warning to recipients about upcoming arrests: "YOU WILL BE ARRESTED FOR TREASON!! OR WORSE!!"
The court filing said the Oklahoma State Election Board alerted the FBI on October 13 to a letter it received from "DSA NEW YORK BY 10272” at its office in Oklahoma City.
This letter, and other recent ones, featured messages written on the envelopes that could be read only under ultraviolet light, according to the affidavit.
Messages written in UV-reactive link on mailings included "52 USC SEC 20511” and "FBI SAVE THE USA."
The court filing said the FBI believes it to be a reference to 52 U.S.C. § 20511, a federal statute that criminalizes voter intimidation.
One letter featured the message: "California! We have a special treat for you! November 3rd!!! Counting votes 30 days later! Bunch of lying, cheating treasonist BASTARDS! YOUR GOING DOWN!"
According to the affidavit, the mailings in 2024 contained three-page letters titled "DECLARATION OF WAR" and had a handwritten return address on envelopes: “"U.S.T.E.A., United States Traitor Elimination Army, Takoma Park, MD."
The writer of those listed five demands and added: "IF OUR DEMANDS ARE NOT MET: Another mailing will occur shortly to 1000’s of destinations of suspected bad actors of the 2020 election, and it won’t be flour next time in the envelopes."
Some mailings in 2024 also had messages written on envelopes that using UV-reactive ink.
One said: "To FBI: What do you want for your children? Peace through strength? Or nuclear war? Use your common sense! Protect Trump! Protect the election! Protect legal votes! Throw out illegal votes! That is the motive!"
Some mailings also said: "Are you for us? Or against us? Stay on the right side of history! Your life may depend on it!!"
DSA Members Warned Not to Vote
The affidavit said the DSA assisted the investigation into the recent letters.
The affidavit added that Martin, using the name George Livingston, posted a message to a DSA email list on October 11. This said that members were traitors and eligible for arrest for treason if they voted in November’s election.
The message said that "every member and supporter of the Democratic Socialists of America is now classified as a ‘traitor’, and is eligible for arrest to be charged with TREASON AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA."
It added: "I would greatly caution you again voting in our American elections! To do so will be an additional overt act of treason. We will be concentrating mainly on DSA members that attempt to vote, for arrest on November 3rd. THIS WILL BE YOUR ONLY WARNING!"
Who Is Robin Martin?
Martin lives in Oklahoma City and previously lived in McAllen, Texas, and other cities in the state, according to the affidavit and LexisNexis records reviewed by Newsweek.
Martin owns a silver 2024 Hyundai Sonata, the affidavit said. The affidavit said the FBI has video evidence that showed Martin’s car stopping in October at mailboxes at Postal Service sites in Oklahoma City, Dallas and San Antonio. Investigators also identified his fingerprints from a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, per the affidavit.
It also said that Walmart records show Martin allegedly purchased turmeric and white vinegar, which the FBI said are commonly used to create "invisible ink" that could be read with ultraviolet light.
A Facebook page that appears to belong to Martin features a verse from the Bible in the biography. The most recent post was shared on October 8, alongside a picture of breakfast in a restaurant. In other posts, Martin wrote about difficulties in his life and his faith.
In a post ahead of the 2024 election, he shared an article about mail ballots being returned as "undeliverable," with the caption: "Unbelievable! Hand carry your votes or vote in person. Our own USPS is swaying our elections. This needs to go viral, and those guilty brought to justice."
Online LexisNexis records show Martin registered to vote in Oklahoma in 2022, and is affiliated with the Republican Party.
Records indicate that before moving to Oklahoma, he was registered to vote in Texas, and appears to have voted as both a Republican and a Democrat in the past.
Martin does not appear to have a prior criminal record.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Cannon and James Debens
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