Republican lawmakers in Ohio were sent poop in the mail, and it’s not just disgusting – it’s a federal crime.
All 25 GOP state senators were targeted with the “envelopes full of feces” in the Thursday mail, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The United States Postal Inspection Service is investigating.
“They should’ve just sent a selfie, because it’s the same thing,” Ohio Senate Republican Caucus spokesman John Fortney told the newspaper. “I’d be more than happy to explain it to them in a parking lot or cornfield of their choice.”
All 25 Republican members of the Ohio Senate were mailed envelopes full of feces on Thursday morning, launching a federal investigation https://t.co/yLgWTlm8hG
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 8, 2022
Fortney said that the stinky envelopes were intercepted by post offices in Cleveland and Akron, as well as the Statehouse mailroom.
Fortney told Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS he suspects the poop was “human,” and called those who sent the envelopes “pathetic, little cowards.” He said officials have confirmed the letters were sent nearly a week ago from a Cleveland post office.
Officials warned lawmakers from both Statehouse chambers to exercise caution when opening mail at home. They were exploring the possibility of heightened security measures for the staff.
Although there was no clear motive, the envelopes were mailed as the Buckeye State prepares to implement a ban on abortions after six weeks, following last month’s reversal by the U.S. Supreme Court of Roe v. Wade.
Republican state Sen. Kristina Roegner, who co-sponsored the abortion bill.
“This is a highly charged and emotional issue, there’s passion on both sides,” Roegner said, adding that she took the stomach-turning stunt in stride. “But we need to engage in civil discourse.”
The reversal of Roe, the landmark 1973 case that made abortion a federal right, has angered pro-abortion activists around the country. The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to overturn the case, sending the right to permit, regulate, or potentially ban abortion to the states.
Fellow Republican lawmaker Jay Hottinger joked to a Columbus Dispatch reporter that Thursday was “just another crappy day,” and called the act “gross and stupid.”
“It’s difficult to quantify how immature, obviously gross, ridiculous, you know, a stunt like this is,” Hottinger told WBNS. “Whatever message that they are intending to try to deliver loses all effect when you resort to ridiculous stunts like this.”