The Secret Service said Wednesday that officers "intercepted" two suspicious packages identified as "potential explosive devices" sent to former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, as reports of other potential threats against political and media targets led to evacuations in a rapidly evolving security scare.

Local reports said the Florida building housing the office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former Democratic Party chairwoman, was evacuated amid reports of a possible suspicious package. Police in the area seemed to confirm the incident in a Twitter alert:

CNN employees said Wednesday that they were evacuated as well from their New York office, after reports of a suspicious package at the Time Warner Center. CNN said the package with a suspicious device was addressed to ex-CIA director John Brennan (who is an analyst for NBC).

This comes after an explosive device was found days earlier in the mailbox of liberal billionaire George Soros, though it's unclear if the incidents are related.
As teams across the country investigate, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, in a written statement, condemned what she described as the "attempted violent attacks" against the Clintons and Obama.

“We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures. These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The United States Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies are investigating and will take all appropriate actions to protect anyone threatened by these cowards,” she said, joined by President Trump and Vice President Pence, who at a separate event said those responsible will be "brought to justice."

The news of the packages to Clinton and Obama unfolded quickly Wednesday morning. It first emerged that the FBI was investigating one suspicious package found by the home of Bill and Hillary Clinton in Chappaqua, New York. But in a statement, the Secret Service said after that package addressed to Hillary Clinton was caught late Tuesday, a second package addressed to Obama "was intercepted by Secret Service personnel in Washington, DC" on Wednesday morning.

"The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such. The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them," the Secret Service said in its statement.

The Secret Service said it has launched 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.”

Sources told Fox News that former President Clinton was at home in Chappaqua when the suspicious package was found, but that it was screened in Westchester County--not at the Clinton residence. A spokesperson for Hillary Clinton told Fox News that the former secretary of state has been in Florida for the last several days.

Top congressional leaders and White House officials joined Sanders in condemning the attacks.

“I stand with all Americans in condemning today’s attempted acts of domestic terrorism. As we continue to learn more, Americans are united in gratitude for the first responders — the Secret Service, the Postal Service, and other law enforcement — who protect our leaders and public figures from such unconscionable acts,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said.

In New York, the New Castle Police Department and the Westchester County Police are assisting in their investigation into the first suspicious package.
“The matter is currently under federal investigation,” a spokesman for the New Castle Police Department said in a statement to Fox News.

The FBI's New York Field Office tweeted Wednesday morning that they are "aware" of a "suspicious package found in the vicinity of the Clinton residence," stating the investigation is ongoing.

According to The New York Times, an explosive device was found by a technician who screens mail for the Clintons.
On Monday, an explosive device also was found in the mailbox at the Bedford, New York, home of George Soros.
The Times reported that the device found by the Clintons' home was similar to the one found at Soros’ home.

Chappaqua is approximately 20 minutes from Bedford. Both towns are about one hour outside of New York City.

reports of a suspicious package at the Time Warner Center. CNN said the package with a suspicious device was addressed to ex-CIA director John Brennan (who is an analyst for NBC).

Miss having a real president.

Yeah, hard to believe it's been nearly ten years since Bush left office.

I'm surprised that you didn't see Michelle Obama rebuke Clinton for it. Clinton also didn't get cheers like Trump does when he gets crowds to chant "lock her up" either. Or his endorsement of somebody physically assaulting a reporter.

Members and front organizations must continually embarass, discredit and degrade our critics. When obstructionists become too irritating, label them as fascist, or nazi or antisemitic... The association will, after enough repetition, become "fact" in the public mind.

You keep trying to make what Trump did okay but he did endorse somebody that physically assaulted a journalist who was just asking a legitimate question. Than the coward tried to lie about it and pin the blame on the journalist. Instead of any type of condemnation last week Trump offered praise. "That's my kind of guy" And if you brought a knife I certainly would want a club handy. Nothing wrong with what Obama said.

A fingerprint on the envelope containing one of the mail bombs sent to prominent Democrats nationwide allowed officials to close in on a suspect, 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc, who was arrested Friday morning.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a 2:30 p.m. press conference that Sayoc, from Aventura, Florida, faces five federal charges and up to 58 years in prison. He confirmed the five charges are: interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents and certain other persons, threatening interstate communications and assaulting federal officers.

The official charge sheet says as well as the fingerprints, reportedly found on the suspicious package sent to California Rep. Maxine Waters, "there is a possible DNA association between a sample collected from a piece of the IED inside two of the envelopes containing IEDs and a sample previously collected from Sayoc."
Sayoc was arrested at an auto parts store in Plantation. He is expected to face charges in federal court in Manhattan after an initial court appearance in Florida, according to the Associated Press.

Sayoc, a registered Republican, has a lengthy criminal history in Florida dating back to 1991. He had been arrested and accused of threatening to use a bomb in 2002 and has also been arrested for felony theft and on drug charges. His 2002 arrest affidavit states that he threatened Florida Power & Light Co., claiming he would blow up their headquarters and "it would be worse than September 11th."

Yup, you have tried to take political advantage of these types of situations in the past. And whenever it's a republican you use them to deflect. You can't even hold Trump responsible for what he says though. And it was Russia that chose to help Trump in 2016 so your Bulshevik labeling is amusing. While Trump calls Dems evil and the press the enemy of the American people, CNN gets pipe bombs mailed to it.

Speaking of Russia...
Mail bomb suspect made numerous references on Facebook to Russian associates and echoed pro-Kremlin views

There is no definitive way for outsiders to verify that these accounts belong to Sayoc.

Sorry but what was a lie exactly? Btw I posted clips of him at Trump rallies, it's pretty clear he is a huge Trump supporter.

Again, Loughner and Hodgkinson have political views too and were clearly liberals, but you (and this article) try to insinuate that Sayoc was representative of Trump Republicans or the Russians. But if these were even Sayoc's facebook and twitter accounts, he probably just looked at the videos he posted on Iran and Russia media sites and click-and-dragged them, no wider conspiracy.

I don't see that even in the case where he supported Assad that his views were necessarily anti-American. Assad was fighting ISIS, so if Sayoc was supporting Assad, he was supporting the side that is killing the ISIS fighters who threaten the U.S., as well as ISIS killing tens of thousands of innocent people in the region. My own objection to Assad is that he and the Russians also kill thousands of civilians indiscriminantly in pursuit of ISIS, whereas the U.S. works hard to avoid collateral damage to civilians.

Again, the article implies much, and by its own admission has no clear facts. They cannot even prove these are Sayoc's facebook and twitter accounts, let alone say clearly what his political views were, even if they are his accounts. Smoke and mirrors.

Orlando Nightclub Shooter's Father Attends Clinton Rally
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJtHURVql-s



See how easy that is? If I wanted to, I could imply that because the shooter's father is a Hillary supporter, that Hillary supports muslim attacks on gays.
If I had the same liberal propensity for slanderous insinuations.

Maxine Waters: "if you see anyone from the Trump administration, in a department store or a restaurant, create a crowd, get in their faces, let them know they are not welcome."
Hillary Clinton: "There will be peace when Democrats regain power."
Corey Booker: Go into Washington DC, find Republican congessmen and "Get in their faces."

Oct 29, 2018


Four shots were fired into the window of a Republican Party office in South Daytona, Fla., at some point between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, according to law enforcement.

No one was injured in the shooting, South Daytona police Capt. Mark Cheatham told The Hill, though a front window was broken and some damage was done to the drywall inside the office.
Cheatham confirmed that a GOP volunteer reported the incident Monday, which he said likely occurred between 4 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. Monday.
Authorities have not identified any eyewitnesses and have been unable to gain surveillance footage from nearby businesses, Cheatham said.

The attack comes in the midst of a tense political environment ahead of next week's midterm elections.

Several local GOP offices have been vandalized over the last few months.

An Iowa GOP office was vandalized last week and a boulder was thrown through the window of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif) office.

Political violence has dominated the national discourse in the last week after homemade explosive devices were mailed to multiple prominent Democratic officials and critics of President Trump. Authorities arrested a Florida man in connection with the packages, which didn't result in any reported injuries.

Oct 17, 2018


Two Republicans in Minnesota said they have been physically attacked in the past few days by assailants who were angry about their politics.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that state Rep. Sarah Anderson (R) was attacked Sunday by an unidentified male who she says she confronted after finding him kicking down several of her yard signs.

Anderson told the AP that police have a tentative identification of the man who allegedly punched her in the arm during the confrontation, and that they plan to interview him.

Another Republican, Minnesota House District 15b candidate Shane Mekeland, told the Star Tribune he was attacked Friday during a campaign event at a bar by a "much bigger person" who left him with a concussion.

Mekeland said his attacker made a statement, while not specifically aligned with either party, that indicated he was angry at Mekeland for supposedly abandoning the middle class.

"It was a typical politically charged statement — not necessarily one way or the other, just a statement in general," Mekeland told the Star Tribune. "But it was in reference to politicians not caring about the middle class."

Mekeland called for civility in American politics.

"Stay calm, be civil, it's OK," Mekeland told the newspaper. "My parents were on the opposite side for their entire marriage and it was 53 years. I grew up in it; they never fought over it."

Some Democrats, including Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.) and former Attorney General Eric Holder, have faced criticism in recent months for calls to protest GOP candidates and lawmakers, with some Republicans saying those calls are akin to promoting violence.

Frankly, Lothar, I'm not convinced that Sayoc ever intended his bombs to actually explode. He mailed 15 bombs, and not one of them went off.

March 21, 2019, by Richard Gonzales (NPR)

A Florida man accused of mailing pipe bombs to a number of prominent Democrats and Trump critics, as well as CNN, has pleaded guilty before a federal judge in New York.
Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 57, was arrested in late October and was scheduled to go on trial in July on charges related to using weapons of mass destruction and transporting explosives. None of the devices exploded. He has been held without bail since his arrest.

"I knew these actions were wrong. I'm extremely sorry," Sayoc said, as quoted by The Washington Post. He told U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff that he did not intend for the devices to explode but was aware of the risk that they might.
Sayoc faces a possible life sentence in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 12 on 65 criminal counts, according to a statement by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

"For five days in October 2018, Cesar Sayoc rained terror across the country, sending high-ranking officials and former elected leaders explosive packages through the mail," U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in the statement. "Thankfully no one was hurt by these dangerous devices, but his actions left an air of fear and divisiveness in their wake. Sayoc has taken responsibility for his crimes, and will soon be sentenced to significant time in prison."

Sayoc mailed 16 improvised explosive devices to 13 targets around the United States, including 11 current or former U.S. government officials, the U.S attorney's statement says.

"In alphabetical order, SAYOC's intended victims were former Vice President Joseph Biden, Senator Cory Booker, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CNN, Robert De Niro, Senator Kamala Harris, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former President Barack Obama, George Soros, Thomas Steyer, and Representative Maxine Waters. Between October 22 and November 2, 2018, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Service recovered all of the 16 IEDs mailed by SAYOC."

A former DJ and bouncer at strip clubs, Sayoc had a criminal history.

"Prior to the arrest, the registered Republican was living in a van plastered with pro-Trump and anti-Democrat stickers. One image showed the president standing on a tank with a rifle, complete with United States flag and fireworks," reported NPR's Sasha Ingber.

All of the targets had criticized Trump, who had apparently become the focus of Sayoc’s intense admiration.

People who knew Sayoc have described his peripatetic existence, saying that he lived for years out of his van while working as a DJ or bouncer at strip clubs. He was charged with a number of crimes over the years, including theft and battery; in one case, he was accused of invoking the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks while threatening the power company.

Trump and his allies have repeatedly pushed back against the idea that his incendiary rhetoric could be linked to extremist violence, including most recently in the wake of the New Zealand mosque attacks. The suspected attacker there referred to immigrants as “invaders” in a manifesto, similar to the language authorities say a gunman used before opening fire in a Pittsburgh synagogue.

Trump has also used the same wording, including not long after the New Zealand attack. Pressed on the criticisms, Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, said Sunday that it was “absurd” to connect Trump’s statements with the New Zealand manifesto.