The US Secret Service says it intercepted suspicious packages sent to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
A bomb has been discovered in a package sent to the home of Hillary and Bill Clinton in New York, police say.
Officials say the suspicious package is similar to that left at the home of billionaire philanthropist George Soros just two days ago. Other packages reportedly containing explosives were also sent to former President Barack Obama, the White House, the Time Warner headquarters, which houses CNN’s New York offices, and a Florida building housing the offices of Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The packages, sent Wednesday morning to the Clinton’s residence in Chappaqua, New York, and Mr Obama’s home in Washington, were intercepted by US Secret Service, after the package containing explosive powder was discovered at billionaire philanthropist George Soros’ home earlier this week.
Both the Clinton and Soros residencies are located in Westchester county.
The return address on at least two of the suspicious packages intercepted Wednesday were labelled as being from former Democratic National Committee chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, NBC New York reported. Shortly after, it was reported that a building housing the Florida lawmaker’s office was also sent a suspicious package.
In a Wednesday statement, the US Secret Service said it “has intercepted two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees,” naming Ms Clinton and Mr Obama as the recipients.
“The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such,” the statement said. “The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them.”
The Secret Service added that it had already “initiated a full scope criminal investigation that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources to determine the source of the packages and identify those responsible.”
On Wednesday morning, the New York Police Department also announced it was investigating a suspicious package sent to CNN’s New York offices located inside the Time Warner headquarters.
An employee of Mr Soros first located the suspicious package located at his residency earlier this week, placing it in a deeply wooded area before alerting the FBI and he Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives.
Chappaqua is a quiet suburb in Westchester county outside of New York City. The Clintons have lived in the home since the late 1990s.
FBI officials are reportedly working with local law enforcement to follow any leads in each case, and have been combing over surveillance footage to learn whether the package found at Mr Soros’ home was hand delivered or sent by mail.
The suspicious packages sent to Mr Soros — a major donor to the Democratic party — and former high-power Democratic leadership arrived during an especially tumultuous midterm election season, as both sides attempt to address an apparent lack of civility in the nationwide political discourse.
Officials declined to provide immediate details on the packages found Wednesday.
However, a senior official expressed “concern” over the similarities between the packages discovered at the Clinton and Soros residencies.
A press conference with the New York Police Department has been scheduled for this afternoon.
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