Transcript for Explosive device found addressed to Clinton days after 1 discovered at Soros home

We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama president Clinton's 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. That was just in from the White House Chelsea Clinton tweeted it every day I am grateful to the women and men of the United States Secret Service thank you. Now these devices were found just two days after a similar scare at the Westchester County home of billionaire George Soros about ten miles from the Clinton home in Chappaqua. He has donated money to liberal causes and is the target of right wing conspiracy theories. Eyewitness News reporter Tim Fleischer continues a live team coverage with that part of our story ten. And David here in New Castle in Chappaqua. The New Castle police were also assisting in the Secret Service in the FBI and other local agencies in looking into this suspicious package. With. Oh with other agencies. Here and Chappaqua this morning. That was mailed to the clintons are also was you point out this was the second suspicious package that was. Discovered here in Westchester County in the last couple of days and explosive device was found in a mailbox at the Bedford compound a billionaire philanthropist George Soros. Who has been a target of right wing conspiracy theorist. The bomb squad safely detonated that device which a law enforcement sources tells ABC news was a small pipe bomb loaded with black powder. They are now trying to determine if these are similar or are they related certainly the Clinton package and also whistle rules package. That's the latest here in New Castle Tim Fleischer channel seven Eyewitness News.</s>Just a couple of days after a bomb was discovered at billionaire philanthropist George Soros’ residence, another explosive device was found on Wednesday at former US President Bill Clinton and wife Hillary Clinton’s house in Chappaqua in New York suburb. Also, another mail bomb was intercepted from Barack Obama’s former residence. Reportedly, the bomb was sent to the Democratic party leaders through the mail and the FBI and the Secret Service is currently investigating the matter.

The bomb was found at around 1 am on Wednesday by the local police and the FBI. One of the officials, who was asked to keep the matter confidential, spoke to media on the condition of anonymity. The investigative bodies have linked the bomb with the explosive device which was recently discovered at George Soros’ house in New York.

Geroge Soros is a renowned activist and he frequently donates to Democratic candidates. Reportedly, he has donated over $18 billion to his Open Society Foundations in order to promote democracy and human rights around the world. Apparently, his activism has put him in the crosshair of conservative and pro-right-wing groups.

George Soros gave huge political donations to John Kerry during his unsuccessful bid to deny George W Bush a second term as the US President. Soros publicly promoted Barack Obama’s candidacy in 2008 and reportedly, donated more than $25 million to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016.

Hillary Clinton, who contested 2016 elections as the Democratic party’s presidential candidate, has been a vociferous critic of US President Donald Trump and the Republican party. On Tuesday, she took to her official Twitter account saying, “The elections two weeks from today are our chance to put a check on an administration that has undermined the rule of law, brought corruption into the Oval Office, attacked immigrants, and vilified journalists.

Do more than vote this year. Volunteer:

It should be noted that the midterm elections in the United States will be held on November 6, 2018, where all the 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be contested.</s>Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Soros was reportedly not at home at the time of Monday's incident

A suspect package found in a post box at the home of billionaire businessman George Soros contained an explosive device, New York police have confirmed.

The item was discovered on Monday by an employee of Mr Soros, who took it to a nearby wooded area, where it was later destroyed by bomb squad officers.

The incident is being investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Mr Soros has become a frequent target for criticism by right-wing groups due to his support for liberal causes.

What happened?

Mr Soros was not at his home in the town of Bedford in Westchester County at the time of the incident, according to reports.

"An employee of the residence opened the package, revealing what appeared to be an explosive device," a Bedford Police Department official told the New York Times.

Officials say that police received a call about a suspicious package at about 15:45 local time (20:45 GMT) on Monday.

Arriving at the scene, police discovered a device that was later confirmed by officials to have contained explosive powder and "had the components" of a bomb. It was then "proactively detonated", police said.

The FBI tweeted that it was investigating an incident in the area.

Police later confirmed that an "extensive investigation" had been opened with the FBI.

Who is Soros?

The 88-year-old Hungarian-American businessman earned his fortune through shrewd financial speculation.

He has spent billions of his own money funding human rights projects and liberal democratic ventures around the world and has been a large donor to the US Democratic Party.

He previously backed the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and labelled US President Donald Trump "an imposter".

US-based right-wing conspiracy theorists and websites have accused Mr Soros of secretly engineering a range of recent events in US and global politics.

They have alleged he was involved in recruiting crowds for the anti-Trump Women's March and even organising violence in Charlottesville to undermine the country's political right wing.

Mr Soros has also become a political target worldwide for nationalists and populists, who paint him as a master manipulator of democracy.</s>Explosive Device Mailed To Liberal Philanthropist George Soros' New York Home

Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Hoslet/AP Olivier Hoslet/AP

An explosive device was found at the Westchester County, New York, home of billionaire philanthropist George Soros on Monday afternoon.

In a statement to NPR, the Bedford Police Department said an employee of the house found a suspicious package in the mailbox. They opened it, revealing what "appeared to be an explosive device." The employee placed the package in a nearby wooded area and alerted authorities.

State and federal authorities responded to the scene in Katonah, a hamlet in the town of Bedford. A bomb squad was able to safely detonate the device, The New York Times reports.

After authorities were contacted, an "extensive investigation" involving the Bedford Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI, commenced.

The case has been handed over to the Joint Terrorism Task Force Division of the FBI, the Bedford Police Department says.

Billionaire Soros, an 88-year-old survivor of Nazi Germany-occupied Hungary, made his fortune running a hedge fund.

Over the course of decades, Soros has given billions of dollars away in philanthropic efforts — including $18 billion to the Open Society Foundations, which he founded in 1993. The left-leaning OSF works to "build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens." (The OSF has been a financial supporter of NPR.)

He frequently donates to Democratic candidates and progressive causes. Soros became a well-known political figure when he donated nearly $24 million in 2004 to groups opposed to President George W. Bush's re-election. The billionaire has remained a steady Democratic benefactor.

His political donations have made Soros a favorite target of conspiracy theorists and anti-Semitic slurs. Some conservative commentators, such as Glenn Beck, and Hollywood figures, such as Roseanne Barr, have falsely claimed that Soros was a Nazi collaborator.

At least two Republicans have recently claimed Soros bankrolled a caravan of migrants currently headed to the U.S., including President Trump. The president also said that two women who confronted Sen. Jeff Flake in an elevator during the hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's alleged sexual assault were "professionals" paid for by Soros.</s>George Soros' foundation denounced extremism and political violence after a law enforcement official said the device found outside Soros' Bedford residential compound “had the components” of an actual bomb.

"The hateful rhetoric that dominates politics in the United States and so many countries around the world breeds extremism and violence," the Open Society Foundations said in a statement on social media. "In this climate of fear, falsehoods and rising authoritarianism, just voicing your views can draw death threats."

The Open Society Foundations called on political officials on both sides of the aisle to tone down the rhetoric.

The law enforcement official, who spoke today to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the continuing investigation, said the device contained explosive powder.

An "employee of the residence" found the device in the mailbox at 168 Cantitoe St. in Katonah around 3:45 p.m. Monday, Bedford police said. The employee placed the package in the woods and alerted police.

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The source says “the components were there for an explosive device” and it was “not a hoax device.”

The official says the investigators are reviewing surveillance video to determine whether the package had been sent through the mail or otherwise delivered.

Authorities detonated it as a precaution. Among the unanswered questions is whether the package was addressed to Soros.

Bedford police referred questions to the FBI, which could not immediately be reached for comment this morning.

The ATF and Westchester County police bomb squad also responded.

"Clearly, of absolute highest priority is the safety of our residents. Whether it's a high-profile resident like George Soros or anyone else," Bedford Town Supervisor Chris Burdick said, adding that he was proud of how the town's police handled the situation. "We would provide that kind of protection to anyone and everyone in our community."

Burdick said and the town historian are not aware of any similar incidents in Bedford in the past.

"Clearly, whatever brought it about is the act of a very sick and disturbed mind," he said.</s>(Reuters) - An explosive device found in a mail box outside the New York residence of billionaire financier George Soros on Monday, police said, and according to the New York Times it was detonated by bomb squad technicians in a nearby wooded area.

Soros is a target of a hostile media campaign by the nationalist government in his native Hungary and a hate figure for right-wing campaigners in eastern Europe and the United States.

Authorities responded to the home in Katonah, New York after receiving a call about a suspicious package at about 3:45 p.m., the Town of Bedford Police Department said in a statement.

An employee at the residence opened the package, revealing what appeared to be an explosive device. The employee put the package in a wooded area and called authorities, police said.

Bomb squad technicians arrived and detonated it, a police official told the New York Times.

Online records showed that Soros resides at the address. He was not home at the time, the New York Times reported.</s>An explosive device was found Monday in a mailbox at the Westchester County home of George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist who is a favorite target of right-wing groups, authorities said.

A law enforcement official confirmed that the device was found near Soros’ home. It did not explode on its own, and bomb squad technicians “proactively detonated” it, the official said.

Federal and state law enforcement officials responded to the scene in Katonah, New York, a hamlet in the upscale town of Bedford in northern Westchester, after the Bedford Police Department received a call about a suspicious package at about 3:45 p.m.

“An employee of the residence opened the package, revealing what appeared to be an explosive device,” police said in a statement. “The employee placed the package in a wooded area and called the Bedford police.”

Soros was not home at the time.

Police said they had turned the case over to the FBI, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a tweet late Monday night, the bureau’s New York office said it was conducting an investigation “at and around a residence in Bedford” and that there was no threat to public safety.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives did not respond to a request for comment.

Soros, who was born in Hungary, made his fortune running a hedge fund and is now a full-time philanthropist and political activist. He donates frequently to Democratic candidates and progressive causes and has given at least $18 billion to his Open Society Foundations to promote democracy and human rights around the world.

His activism has made him a villain to conservative groups and the target of anti-Semitic smears. Roseanne Barr called him a Nazi in an infamous tweetstorm, and just this month, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., falsely speculated that Soros had funded a caravan of migrants moving north toward Mexico. There is no evidence that Soros paid thousands of migrants to storm the border. Nor is there evidence that Democrats support the effort, as Trump has said.

Soros became a major political donor in the United States during George W. Bush’s presidency. He spent millions backing John Kerry’s unsuccessful bid to deny Bush a second term, was an early backer of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and contributed more than $25 million to Hillary Clinton and other Democratic candidates and causes during the 2016 election cycle.

Though Soros’ name has become a trigger for a subset of Republicans and conservatives, he has said that his main goal as a political activist was to see a return to bipartisanship.

He has said it was the extremism of the Republican Party that had prompted him to become a major Democratic donor, but also said he is opposed to the extreme left.

“I don’t particularly want to be a Democrat,” he said.

Bedford is about 50 miles north of Manhattan and has been home to many well-to-do city transplants, including Martha Stewart, Glenn Close and Ralph Lauren. Katonah, where Soros has a home, is known for its cultural offerings, including the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts and the Katonah Museum of Art.

The town is known for its insularity and lack of gossip, which allows for well-known residents to fly under the radar. “They look to Bedford as to being protective of their privacy,” John Stockbridge, Bedford’s historian, said in a phone interview.

Stockbridge said that the town has largely avoided drama or violent scares. “I’ve been here for 35 years and I don’t remember any incident like what you’re talking about,” he said.</s>NEW YORK (Reuters) - A package containing an explosive device was found in a mailbox outside a New York home owned by billionaire financier George Soros, and the FBI was searching for the sender on Tuesday.

Soros, one of the world’s biggest donors to liberal groups and causes, has become a hate figure for right-wing campaigners in the United States and eastern Europe, and the target of a hostile media campaign by the nationalist government in his native Hungary.

An employee at the home in Katonah, New York, opened the package at around 3:45 p.m. on Monday to find what appeared to be an explosive device, the Bedford Police Department said in a statement.

Soros was not there at the time, the New York Times reported.

Katonah, a hamlet in the town of Bedford, is one of New York City’s wealthier suburbs located about 40 miles (60 km) north of Manhattan.

Bomb squad technicians detonated the package in a nearby wooded area, police said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking into the incident, police said.

A Hungarian government spokesman said: “The matter falls under the jurisdiction of U.S. authorities. After all, the incident occurred there.” He declined to comment further.

Soros has donated billions of dollars to his Open Society Foundation, a grant-making organization that funds civil society groups around the world. The foundation has clashed with Hungary’s government over the latter’s restrictions on immigration and asylum seekers.</s>An explosive device was found in the home mailbox of billionaire George Soros, prompting the FBI to launch an investigation into who may want to harm the philanthropist and political activist, officials said.

The explosive device was discovered about 3:45 p.m. Monday by an employee at Soros' home in Katonah, New York, a suburb of New York City, according to the Bedford Police Department, who responded to the residence.

"An employee of the residence opened the package, revealing what appeared to be an explosive device," Bedford police said in a statement.

The employee placed the suspicious package in a wooded area and called the police, officials said.

A police bomb squad responded and detonated the device, officials said.

The 88-year-old Soros was not home at the time when the device was discovered, and no one was injured in the incident.

Bedford police said the investigation was turned over to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

"We are conducting an investigation at and around a residence in Bedford, New York. There is no threat to public safety, and we have no further comment at this time," the FBI New York office tweeted Monday afternoon.

It was not immediately clear if a note was found with the device, or if it was sent to Soros' home in the mail or planted there by a would-be attacker.

Soros has become a favorite target of right-wing groups due to his support of progressive causes and Democratic candidates, but authorities have not commented on whether any specific group is being investigated.

Soros, a Hungarian immigrant who lived through the Nazi occupation of World War II, launched his own hedge fund in 1970 and went on to become one of the most successful investors in U.S. history.</s>The FBI on Tuesday was investigating an explosive device found in the mailbox at the New York home of US billionaire and liberal donor George Soros, a target of right-wing groups, officials confirmed.

An employee of the residence in Bedford, north of Manhattan, found the suspicious package in the mailbox on Monday afternoon, opened it and found what appeared to be an explosive device, Bedford police said.

"The employee placed the package in a wooded area and called the Bedford police," the local police department said in a statement.

Soros was not at home at the time and bomb squad technicians defused the device, said police in Bedford, a wealthy enclave that is home to a string of the rich and famous within easy commute of Manhattan.

An "extensive investigation" has been opened and the case has been turned over to the Joint Terrorism Task Force Division of the FBI, police said.

"We are conducting an investigation at and around a residence in Bedford," the FBI's New York field office said on Twitter. "There is no threat to public safety, and we have no further comment at this time."

Born to a Jewish family in Hungary, the 88-year-old hedge fund tycoon has an estimated net worth of $8.3 billion, making him one of the world's richest men, according to Forbes magazine.

In 1992, the Wall Street trader became known as "the man who broke the bank of England" when his aggressive speculation against sterling sent it crashing out of the European exchange mechanism.

He has given away billions to his Open Society Foundations, which promote freedom of expression, justice and equality, and which counter discrimination, focusing in part on Central and Eastern Europe.

The organization on Tuesday condemned the "hateful rhetoric that dominates politics in the United States and so many countries around the world," noting it "breeds extremism and violence.

"In this climate of fear, falsehoods, and rising authoritarianism, just voicing your views can draw death threats," it said, adding that Soros "deplores violence of any kind and urges politicians across the political spectrum to tone down their rhetoric."

Earlier this month US President Donald Trump accused Soros of paying demonstrators to protest against the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of attempted rape in high school.

Soros supported Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US election and has been accused by nationalists the world over of sponsoring protests and seeking to push a liberal, multicultural agenda.

Roseanne Barr, the US actress sacked from the revival of her eponymous sitcom for sending a racist tweet about a former Barack Obama aide, called Soros a Nazi earlier this year before later apologizing.
A mail bomb is discovered at the home of George Soros in Bedford, New York, United States. It is safely detonated by the Bedford Police Department. While Soros was not at the residence when the device was discovered, the businessman and philanthropist is believed to be the intended target.