Secret Service chief vows to find culprits after bombs are sent to Clintons and Obama

THE US Secret Service has intercepted a bomb addressed to Hillary Clinton and also discovered a possible explosive that was sent to former president Barack Obama.

A police bomb squad was also sent to TV new channel CNN’s offices in New York City and the newsroom was evacuated because of a suspicious package.

A US official said investigators believe the explosive that was discovered near the Clintons’ home in Chappaqua, New York, is linked to one found on Monday at the compound of billionaire philanthropist George Soros.

The official said one of the packages had the return address of US representative Deborah Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

The package addressed to Mr Obama was intercepted yesterday by Secret Service agents in Washington.

Neither Mrs Clinton nor Mr Obama received the packages, and neither was at risk of receiving them because of screening procedures, the Secret Service said.

The White House condemned “the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton and other public figures”.

Press secretary Sarah Sanders said: “These terrorising acts are despicable and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Mrs Clinton was attending campaign events for Democrats in Florida on Tuesday and yester- day and was not at the family’s New York residence at the time.

She was headlining a fundraising reception yesterday for former health and human services secretary Donna Shalala, who is running for Congress in South Florida.

Mr Clinton was at the family’s Chappaqua home at the time the package was intercepted at a Westchester County facility. The device was screened at the facility and never reached the Clintons’ home.

A law enforcement official said that the package discovered at Mr Soros’ home appeared to be a pipe bomb and was in a package placed in a post box outside the gates of the compound.

An employee for Mr Soros opened it just inside the gates, not near Mr Soros’ quarters.

The Secret Service said media reports that it has intercepted a suspicious package bound for the White House were incorrect.

The agency tasked with protecting the president and other dignitaries said it had intercepted two packages in Washington and New York. The packages were addressed to the residences of Mr Obama in Washington and Mrs Clinton in Chappaqua.

Vice president Mike Pence tweeted: “These cowardly actions are despicable and have no place in this country.”

He thanked law enforcement and added: “Those responsible will be brought to justice.”

Law enforcement officials said the CNN bomb was crude but operational and was addressed to former CIA director John Brennan, a CNN contributor.