Pipe bombs addressed to former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former US President Barack Obama were intercepted by the Secret Service overnight, and a similar explosive device send to CNN’s New York City headquarters was identified in the network’s mailroom.
Nobody was harmed by the devices.
This is the suspicious package received this morning at the Time Warner Center, which houses the CNN New York bureau.
Police say the package appeared to be a “live explosive device.” It has now been removed and taken to a NYPD facility in the Bronx. https://t.co/8mBvdMxf8q pic.twitter.com/4do7Io7yjn
— CNN International (@cnni) October 24, 2018
The New York Times reports the explosive device mailed to Clinton was addressed to her family home in New York State, but was identified by Secret Service personnel who screen her incoming mail.
The device sent to Obama was addressed to his office in Washington D.C., and was similarly intercepted by a Secret Service detail.
CNN employees and other workers at the Time Warner Center in NYC were ordered to evacuate immediately after the explosive device was discovered in the network’s mail room.
Workers were permitted to return to the building roughly an hour later, after the device was secured by a police bomb squad.
That device was addressed to former CIA chief John Brennan, who this year had his security clearance revoked by President Donald Trump. Many considered that to a political act of revenge after Brennan’s scathing statements on Trump.
The package bore a return address for the offices of prominent Democrat Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Another suspicious device was investigated by the bomb squad at her Florida offices.
FBI technicians are expected to investigate the CNN package after rendering it harmless, and investigations are underway to determine the provenance of the other devices.
President Trump condemned the incidents, saying a full federal investigation into the “despicable” acts was underway.
The safety of the American People is my highest priority. I have just concluded a briefing with the FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Secret Service… pic.twitter.com/nEUBcq4NOh
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 24, 2018
Former President Bill Clinton issued a statement on Twitter thanking the Secret Service for their work.
Thank you to the @SecretService and all law enforcement agencies who responded to this week’s incidents. They work tirelessly to keep our country and communities safe. I am forever grateful for their efforts.
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) October 24, 2018
The packages were identified two days after an explosive device was found at the home of George Soros, a billionaire who has extensively contributed to Democratic campaigns.
Investigators are working to determine if the devices are linked.
