The U.S. Secret Service said it has interviewed a man claiming responsibility for delivering a gift-wrapped package of horse manure addressed to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
The box was found Saturday at the home of Mnuchin's neighbor in the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood in Los Angeles. The LAPD bomb squad responded to the report of the package, which police said was marked as being from "the American people."
Secret Service spokesman Cody Starken told The Associated Press Monday that the agency was contacted by Los Angeles police and interviewed a person who claimed responsibility. He declined to identify the person.
Starken said the Secret Service takes all confirmed and alleged threats seriously. He said the agency typically doesn't comment on possible criminal investigations or interviewing practices.
Robby Strong, a psychologist for the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, has come forward as the person who dropped the package off.
The 45-year-old confirmed to NBC4 that the Secret Service paid him a visit and frankly, he's surprised he hasn't been arrested yet.
Strong said he wanted to hand deliver the box of manure to Mnuchin at home.
"I actually rang the bell hoping to get him," he said.
Mnuchin was home at the time of the incident and "made aware of the situation," according to police.
A Christmas card was also inside the package, making some reference to Mnuchin and President Donald Trump, multiple sources told NBC. The card did not contain a threat, but it made negative reference to Trump's $1.5 trillion tax overhaul, signed on Dec. 22.
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The letter -- which Strong posted to his Twitter account -- reads in full:
"Mrs. Mnuchin & Trump, We're returning the "gift" of the Christmas tax bill. It's bulls---. Warmest Wishes, The American People. P.S. - Kiss Donald for me."
Strong said he does not regret the stunt, although he acknowledges it may be putting his job at risk.
On social media, he's being hailed as a hero as some, but others are so angry at his antics they're threatening his life.
"I've received a lot of death threats," Strong said.
Strong told NBC4 he hand delivered an identical box at an address in Beverly Hills he also believes belongs to Mnuchin, but he doesn't know what happened to that box.
NBC4's Hetty Chang and Jonathan Gonzalez contributed to this report.
