Politics

Reports of a suspicious package addressed to the White House are 'incorrect,' Secret Service says 

Key Points
  • The U.S. Secret Service said Wednesday that reports of a suspicious package addressed to the White House are "incorrect."
  • "CLARIFICATION: At this time the Secret Service has intercepted TWO suspicious packages - one in NY and one in D.C. Reports of a third intercepted package addressed to the WH are incorrect," the agency wrote in a post on Twitter.
  • Earlier in the day CNN reported that a package apparently containing a pipe bomb that was addressed to the White House was intercepted.
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The U.S. Secret Service said Wednesday that reports of a suspicious package addressed to the White House are "incorrect."

"CLARIFICATION: At this time the Secret Service has intercepted TWO suspicious packages - one in NY and one in D.C. Reports of a third intercepted package addressed to the WH are incorrect," the agency wrote in a post on Twitter.

Earlier in the day, CNN reported that a package apparently containing a pipe bomb that was addressed to the White House was intercepted Wednesday, citing a law enforcement official.

SS tweet

The report came after the Secret Service said Wednesday that "potential explosive devices" were addressed to former President Barack Obama in Washington and ex-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in New York.

The Time Warner Center building in New York City on Wednesday was evacuated following a report of a suspicious package addressed to CNN, which has its New York bureau based in the building. In a briefing Wednesday afternoon, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the sending of a live explosive package to CNN an "act of terror."

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Suspicious packages sent to Obama, Clinton, CNN

On Monday, a suspicious package was reported at the New York home of liberal billionaire George Soros.

The packages sent to the Obama, Soros and Clinton addresses have a number of similarities, according to NBC News. The devices were contained in manila packages, and the signature on the devices, their components or packaging is almost exactly the same. The packages also have a return address the belonging to a prominent Democratic Party official.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment, though press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders condemned the attacks on public figures in a statement Wednesday.

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"We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures," Sanders said. "These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

CNN published an update with the Secret Service statement.

The wire service Reuters also reported that a suspicious package had been sent to the White House and intercepted, citing a source. The source later said told Reuters there was no suspicious package. A spokesperson for Reuters said that once it learned the previous information was inaccurate, the company sent customers an alert and an urgent story noting the source's earlier inaccuracy.

— CNBC's Kevin Breuninger and Brian Schwartz contributed to this report.