White powdery substance found to be baby powder at former President Obama's DC office

WASHINGTON - An envelope with a “powdery substance” found at former President Barack Obama's D.C. office was found to be baby powder, following a police investigation on Tuesday.

The incident was reported at around 11 a.m. at the World Wildlife Fund Headquarters at 1250 24th Street in Northwest D.C. The former president has leased office space in the building since leaving the White House in January 2017.

D.C. Fire and EMS first responders wearing hazmat suits entered the building to investigate. No one was injured, and building employees remained in place as officials responded. The FBI and Secret Service also responded to the scene.

D.C. Fire and EMS Battalion Chief Edward Smith tells FOX 5 a letter was mailed to the Northwest D.C office building from Hong Kong, but it was not addressed to the former president or his office. It had no return address.

Officials were able to determine the substance was harmless and that it was, in fact, baby powder, but it tied up traffic and caused concern for people in the West End area between Dupont Circle and Georgetown.

The Obama family lives in D.C.'s  Kalorama neighborhood, not far from the office building. It is unclear if the former president was in the office when the incident was reported.

A WWF spokesperson tells FOX 5 this was the second instance in two days for their organization, as a package containing a white powder was sent to their Switzerland headquarters on Monday, but that powder was also not hazardous. 

There does not appear to be a connection to the incident on Monday, where President Trump's daughter-in-law Vanessa Trump, wife of Donald Trump Jr., opened an envelope containing a white powder. Investigators later found the substance was cornstarch. Sources told FOX 5 New York's Linda Schmidt that the envelope had a Boston postmark.

Fox News reports that London police were also investigating a “suspicious package” Tuesday after a letter containing white powder was sent to an office in the Palace of Westminster, authorities said.