Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Attacks hit home for Wasserman Schultz
Suspicious package found at congresswoman’s offices
South Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democratic Party icon, became a central figure Wednesday after a string of suspected explosive devices were sent to politicians across the country.
Suspicious packages were found at Wasserman Schultz’s offices in Sunrise and Aventura, among five packages delivered to Democratic officials, a prominent party supporter and the New York City offices of CNN.
The five envelopes containing the devices listed Wasserman Schultz’s Sunrise office on the return address, the FBI said.
None of the suspected explosives detonated and no one was hurt, but the episode jolted the nation and sent law enforcement scrambling for clues. Both of Wasserman Schultz’s offices were evacuated and searched by bomb squads. The Aventura package later was deemed safe and unconnected with the other incidents.
“We will not be intimidated by this attempted act of violence,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement issued late Wednesday. “This appalling attack on our democracy must be vigorously prosecuted, and I am deeply disturbed by the way my name was used.”
She declined to comment further, saying it could jeopardize the federal investigation.
The package was discovered Wednesday morning at Wasserman Schultz’s Sunrise office in a corporate park at 777 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway.
The Broward Sheriff Office’s bomb squad responded and brought a robot to retrieve the device.
That morning the congresswoman, a former head of the Democratic National Committee, had been scheduled to be about 35 miles south in Miami-
Dade County, at the Coral Gables Women’s Club.
She was to appear with other elected officials at a fundraising luncheon for Donna Shalala, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and former president of the University of Miami. Shalala is a candidate for Congress.
The FBI said the five packages were sent to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, former CIA Director John Brennan, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and billionaire investor and Democratic Party donor George Soros. The package intended for Holder, who served in the Obama administration, had the wrong address and was rerouted to the return address, Wasserman Schultz’s office.
CNN released a photograph of one of the packages that was received at the Time Warner Center, site of its New York City offices.
The return address was for Wasserman Schultz’s office in Sunrise, and her name was misspelled. The package was addressed to a “John Brenan.”
John Brennan, spelled with three ‘n’s, is a former director of the Central Intelligence Agency who served during the Obama administration.
Wednesday afternoon, Aventura police said they had evacuated City Hall, at 19200 W. Country Club Drive, after the second suspicious package was discovered at a Wasserman Schultz office.
A woman who works for Wasserman Schultz was going through the mail at the Aventura office and found a package that “felt funny,” Mayor Enid Weisman said.
“It was oddly shaped,” Weisman said. “So she alerted the police.”
Late Wednesday afternoon, Aventura police tweeted that the package was ruled safe after Miami-Dade police and fire inspected it. It was not connected with the other incidents, police said.
Sunrise police tweeted that “there have been no reports of any other incidents or suspicious packages at any other venues within Sunrise,” and also said the package was rendered safe by 6 p.m. The city is home to Sawgrass Mills outlet mall, one of the top tourist attractions in the state.
Helena Krotenberg works in the building next door to Wasserman Schultz’s office in Sunrise and was taking the situation in stride. She said she’s getting used to drama these days.
“It’s just like another day at work,” Krotenberg said. “One more thing to inconvenience everyone. They have to block the street so everyone has to drive longer to get around. And the police have to stand in the hot sun.”
Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan said: “I hope that the perpetrators of these reprehensible acts of terrorism across our nation, which have put our communities and first responders at risk, are brought to justice and that no one is injured or killed.”
Terrie Rizzo, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, urged everyone to “tone it down” in the next two weeks before the Nov. 6 election.
“This kind of targeted hate and violence has no place in our country and will not be tolerated,” Rizzo said. “This isn’t about politics; this is about national security and our number one concern is the safety of congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and first responders called to these scenes. Unfortunately, we have seen some candidates for office use highly divisive and toxic rhetoric during this cycle.”
President Donald Trump has been criticized for divisive and offensive comments about the media and political opponents, and on Oct. 18, he praised a Montana congressman who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault after body-slamming a reporter.
In remarks Wednesday at the White House, Trump said: “The full weight of our government is being deployed to conduct this investigation and bring those responsible for these despicable acts to justice. This egregious conduct is abhorrent to everything we hold dear and sacred as Americans. … We’re extremely angry, upset, unhappy about what we witnessed this morning. And we will get to the bottom of it.”
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, Rfla., said on Twitter: “An attack on an American who happens to be a Democrat, Republican or Independent is an attack on America. The terrorist behind this will soon find out that while a free people have politics that are conflictive, if you try to kill any of us you will have to face all of us.”
But Mitch Ceasar, former chair of the Broward Democratic Party, said it was no accident that all of the packages were sent to high-level Democrats a couple of weeks before the midterm elections.
“This is symptomatic of the toxic environment that we live in today,” he said.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement that it’s possible other packages have been mailed to other locations and asked the public to take care if one is found and to call 911.
He asked anyone with information, no matter how minor it may seem, to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 (CALL-FBI) or at https:// tips.fbi.gov.