Warren & Markey Condemn Targeting Of Democrats, CNN With Explosive Devices
BOSTON (CBS/AP) -- Bombs and other suspicious packages targeting Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama and CNN were intercepted Wednesday in a rash of attacks aimed at prominent Democrats and a cable news network often criticized by political conservatives.
A similar device was found Monday at the New York compound of liberal billionaire George Soros, a major contributor to Democratic causes.
PHOTO: CBS News has obtained a photo showing the explosive device sent to former CIA Director John Brennan at the CNN bureau in New York. The package has Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Florida office as the return address. https://t.co/e2hhbMxlJc pic.twitter.com/KPXvtz5IR7
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 24, 2018
There were no explosions and no reports of injuries. The Massachusetts State Fire Marshal and Boston's FBI office said there were no reports of suspicious devices in the Bay State on Wednesday.
Massachusetts' two U.S. senators both weighed in, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren saying violence "has no place in our democracy."
Violence against private citizens, public officials and media organizations has no place in our democracy. I am thankful for the bold and swift action of law enforcement to ensure no one was hurt. https://t.co/2Y6FwPJ5WJ
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) October 24, 2018
Sen. Ed Markey called on both sides to stand united against the acts.
Everyone, on all sides of our political discourse, must come together to condemn the targeting of private citizens, public servants, and the free press. Whoever is responsible for sending these bombs and fostering violence must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) October 24, 2018
The White House also quickly condemned the attacks. Vice President Mike Pence said they "have no place in this country," and President Donald Trump tweeted, "I agree wholeheartedly."
The U.S. Secret Service intercepted a bomb that was addressed to Hillary Clinton at her Chappaqua, New York, home and a possible explosive that was sent to former President Obama in his home in Washington. And a police bomb squad removed a suspicious package from CNN's New York headquarters, which was evacuated.
Overhead TV shots showed a truck carrying that device, which law enforcement officials said was linked to other explosives this week, being driven away.
A U.S. official told The Associated Press that investigators believe the explosive that was discovered near the Clintons' home was linked to one found Monday at the Soros compound.
"We know Bill Clinton was home when the package was directed here, but it never made its way to the home," @HilaryLReports says outside Clintons' Chappaqua, NY house. The package was intercepted by the @SecretService during a routine mailing check. https://t.co/1ewgxc9m5G pic.twitter.com/rXwziv6RGr
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 24, 2018
The official wasn't authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said one of the packages had the return address of Rep. Deborah Wasserman Schultz, an ironic reference to the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee who was accused by Clinton rivals of secretly helping the party's eventual president nominee.
Neither Clinton nor Obama received the packages, and neither was at risk of receiving them because of screening procedures, the Secret Service said in a statement.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement, "These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
This is an ongoing situation that President Trump and his admin are monitoring closely. Our condemnation of these dispicable acts certainly includes threats made to CNN as well as current or former public servants. These cowardly acts are unacceptable and wont be tolerated. https://t.co/YbMbCUWMPC
— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) October 24, 2018
Two law enforcement officials, speaking to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the pipe bomb at CNN was crude but operational and was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, who regularly appears as a television contributor and who has publicly clashed with Trump. They said it was similar to other explosives discovered in the past few days.
Hillary Clinton was attending campaign events for Democrats in Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday and was not at the family's New York residence at the time. Bill Clinton was at the family's Chappaqua home at the time the package was intercepted at a Westchester County facility, said a person familiar with his schedule. The person said the device was screened at the facility — not in proximity to their residence — and never reached the Clintons' home.
A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the package discovered at Soros' home appeared to be a pipe bomb and was in a package placed in a mailbox outside the gates of the compound. A Soros employee opened it just inside the gates, not near Soros' quarters, the official said.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)