Daschle gets laced letter from Monmouth Junction
By: Nick D’Amore
A letter laced with anthrax that was sent to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle had a return address with a Monmouth Junction ZIP code.
The letter was received by Sen. Daschle’s office Monday and resulted in the contamination of 31 people. In addition, Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) has announced that three members of his staff also have tested positive for exposure, according to The Washington Post. Sen. Feingold’s office is next to Sen. Daschle’s office.
In response, the House of Representatives adjourned Wednesday afternoon and will not resume business until Tuesday. It’s offices also will remain closed. Sen. Daschle has announced that the Senate will remain in session but that Senate offices will be closed.
The House and Senate office buildings will undergo widespread testing, according to The Washington Post.
The Washington exposures were confirmed by nasal swab tests, which indicate bacterial spores in the nose but do not necessarily indicate infection or disease, The Post said.
Staff members were exposed to the anthrax bacteria after a letter with a Trenton postmark was opened Monday. The letter’s return address was "4th grade, Greendale School, Franklin Park, NJ 08852."
The postal ZIP code of 08852 designates the Monmouth Junction post office; the ZIP code for Franklin Park is 08823.
There is no Greendale School in Franklin Park or Monmouth Junction, nor is there a Greendale School anywhere in New Jersey, according to the Department of Education’s Web site.
A letter with similar handwriting and a Trenton postmark also was sent to NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, but without a return address. One of Mr. Brokaw’s assistants tested positive for the anthrax bacteria.
The Washington office of the FBI declined to comment on whether South Brunswick would now be included in an investigation of the origins of the letter.
Sandra Carroll, special agent and spokesperson for the New Jersey FBI office, said she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the investigation, but said the FBI is pursuing a number of avenues, which could include canvassing the South Brunswick area.
An official with the U.S. Postal Service declined to comment on the investigation or the origin of the letter.
The Trenton regional mail handling facility, located on Route 130, does not serve the Monmouth Junction or Franklin Park post offices. Mail from those post offices is processed by the Kilmer General Mail Facility in Edison.
Anthrax is a sometimes deadly disease that originates in farm animals.
The most lethal form is pulmonary anthrax, which is inhaled. Cutaneous anthrax is caused when anthrax spores come in contact with the skin and gastrointestinal anthrax comes from eating the meat of an infected animal. All can be treated with antibiotics.

