Bomb found at home of philanthropist
A bomb was found in a mailbox at the suburban New York home of George Soros, the liberal billionaire philanthropist who has been denounced by President Donald Trump and vilified by Right-wing conspiracy theorists, authorities said yesterday.
Federal agents safely detonated the device after being summoned on Tuesday by a security officer at the sprawling, wooded compound, about 80 kilometres north of Manhattan. The 88-year-old Soros was not home at the time.
Laura Silber, a spokeswoman for Soros’ Open Society Foundations, blamed the country’s toxic political environment.
In recent days and weeks, Soros has been accused of being the hidden hand behind some of the opposition to Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination and helping to create the caravan of Central Americans making their way towards the US.
‘‘The hateful rhetoric that dominates politics in the US and in so many countries around the world breeds extremism and violence,’’ Silber said. ‘‘In this climate of fear, falsehoods and rising authoritarianism, just voicing your views can draw death threats.’’
The FBI confirmed it was involved in an investigation but declined to comment. The New York Police Department said that as a precaution, it was sending counterterrorism officers to all Soros-connected sites in the city.
Federal investigators were reviewing surveillance video to determine whether the package containing the bomb had been sent through the mail or delivered some other way, officials said. They said it was unclear if the parcel was addressed to Soros.
A federal law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the investigation, said the device contained explosive powder.
Another federal official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said it 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, the official said.