Chicago police and the FBI are investigating whether maggots were intentionally placed in a hotel breakfast being served to delegates attending the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, according to law enforcement and media reports.
Authorities said multiple women had reportedly been seen entering the Fairmont Hotel around 6:45 a.m. and placing “unknown objects” onto tables containing food before leaving the area.
It is not clear whether anyone has been arrested. Emergency responders treated one person at the scene, officials said, not specifying whether the patient had gotten ill or been injured.
The delegation breakfasts, which are held at various hotels across Chicago, begin at 7 a.m. and end at 9:30 a.m., according to a schedule of convention events.
“We were all coming down to breakfast, and there were these two women who had hidden themselves in the bathroom,” Indiana delegate Karen Tallian told USA Today. “And they ran out and threw maggots into the breakfast buffet.”
In a statement cited by CNN, Fairmont Hotel spokesperson Haley Robles said a group of individuals “caused a disruption at at DNC-related breakfast event at our hotel this morning.”
“Our team acted immediately to clean and sanitize the area, ensuring that the event could continue without further incident. We maintain the highest standards of food safety and cleanliness throughout our property and have strict protocols in place to handle any disruptions,” she said.
Some attendees suspect the incident was a form of protest.
Last month, maggots were allegedly dumped at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was staying during his trip to the United States. The Palestinian Youth Movement, an advocacy group, posted a video to Instagram showing mealworms and maggots crawling across white linen tablecloths on banquet tables at the hotel, apparently placed there to protest the war in Gaza.
“The safety and well-being of our delegation is our top priority,” Indiana Democratic Party spokesperson Sam Barloga said of the situation in Chicago on Wednesday. “All Americans have the right to peaceful protest, but ugly attacks like this have no place in our democracy. We thank the security team for responding swiftly.”