NYPD investigating another suspicious package near Time Warner building
FBI investigating string of packages containing explosives sent to prominent Democrats
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Your support makes all the difference.The New York Police Department has said it is investigating yet another suspicious package found at a postal facility near the CNN offices in the Time Warner building in Manhattan.
Another package has been found in Miami, Florida, addressed to Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. Nearby roads have been closed out of caution.
The FBI confirmed in a tweet the Florida package was the 11th one found in the past week. The New York package is the 12th and reportedly addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, but included the CNN office address.
The news comes after a string of packages containing explosives and one with “white powder” were found or intercepted, addressed to Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, former CIA Director John Brennan, House Democrat Maxine Waters, former US Attorney General Eric Holder, and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Mr Biden and Ms Waters both received two separate packages.
It began with a package containing an explosive device sent to billionaire George Soros, who has contributed millions of dollars to Democrats.
Though investigators have not confirmed it as being a connection to the packages, all of the intended recipients and the news network have been frequent targets and vocal critics of President Donald Trump.
CNN reporter Jim Sciutto, who had to leave the anchor desk mid-broadcast on Wednesday morning when the “live” explosive device was found in the network’s office tweeted a picture of the latest package addressed to Mr Clapper.
“To echo [Mr] Brennan’s comments...this is not going to silence the administration’s critics,” Mr Clapper told CNN this morning.
“I think anyone who has...publicly been a critic of President Trump needs to take precautions...but at the same time we can’t get too overwhelmed about it, too overwrought is the right word,” the former intelligence chief said.
“I have every confidence in all the law enforcement involved,” Mr Clapper said.
He said he was glad the president had not once again hit out at the FBI and said they were “in tatters..once again this proves they’re not.”
He said he wished the president had “named” the targets of the bombs in his initial statement and skipped the political rally the president held that same evening in Wisconsin because he thinks Mr Trump “bears some responsibility” for the acts.
Mr Trump had said Wednesday after the first seven packages had been found that he considered them “egregious acts” of “domestic terrorism.”
However, just one day later the president tweeted:”A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News”.
“It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!” he wrote.
Mr Trump tweeted again in the middle of the night: “Funny how lowly rated CNN, and others, can criticize me at will...yet when I criticize them they go wild and scream, “it’s just not Presidential!”
The packages intended for the Clintons, Obamas, Mr Holder, and Mr Brennan and Mr Clapper whose packages had CNN‘s address had the sender address listed as that of Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Ms Wasserman Schultz is a Democrat in the US House and the former chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
The package which was meant for Mr Holder actually had an incorrect address for the former Attorney General and ended up back in the south Florida district office of Ms Wasserman Schultz.
Investigators have noted her name was spelled incorrectly on at least two of the packages, addressed to Mr Brennan and Mr Clapper via CNN.
It is not known at this time who was listed as the return/sender address on the other packages.
Actor Robert DeNiro also received a suspicious package at his New York City office this week. He called on to vote despite the threat to silence prominent Democrats.
He said in a statement: ”There’s something more powerful than bombs, and that’s your vote. People must vote!”
DeNiro also thanked ”the brave and resourceful security and law enforcement people for protecting us.”
NYPD has confirmed any packages found in the city have been sent for analysis to an FBI lab as the full investigation continues.
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