A Texas mayor received a threatening package as he seeks reelection.
On Tuesday (April 23), Arcola, Texas Mayor Fred Burton was sent a package containing a noose and a note warning him to cancel his reelection bid, per PEOPLE.
The Arcola Police Department shared images of the package on social media.
“Get out of the race now!!” a typed letter reads. The letter arrived with a noose in an envelope addressed to Burton.
The police department said they are treating the incident “with the utmost seriousness,” noting that the FBI is also assisting in its investigation.
On Wednesday (April 24), Chief Arika Carr-Bryant said police later found “several inconsistencies” with the package.
“The package had inconsistencies such as a missing postmark and a misspelling of Scranton, PA,” Carr-Bryant said in a statement. “Despite these discrepancies, it was confirmed to have been delivered by the USPS, leading us to treat this as a credible threat.”
The threatening package comes amid several controversies clouding Burton’s 2024 campaign for reelection.
Burton, who was elected to his second term as mayor in November 2020, reportedly spent $7,500 of public funds for a private investigator to follow a council member and her family. The mayor of Arcola, a city of about 2,000 people, allegedly hired the PI to prove that the council member lived in a neighboring town and should be kicked off the council.
Burton also caught heat when he shared a video in a private Facebook group of a campaign flyer for mayoral candidate Veeda Williams being set on fire. The video was later removed.
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