What to Know
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An object that contained explosive powder was found in a Westchester mailbox of a home that belongs to George Soros, authorities said
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The FBI is working with police to figure out who sent the device, which a senior law enforcement official said was similar to a pipe bomb
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No injuries were reported in Bedford, but officials say they are investigating who sent the device
The FBI and local police responded to an address at the home of philanthropist George Soros after an object that appeared to be an explosive was found in a mailbox, according to authorities.
The Bedford Police Department said it responded to the address in the hamlet of Katonah at 3:45 p.m. Monday after an employee of the residence opened the package.
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The person placed the package in a wooded area and called police, who alerted the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives. A law enforcement source tells NBC 4 New York that the device contained explosive powder, but it wasn’t clear whether it was operational.
Beford police said the FBI’s terrorism task force was investigating.
The FBI is working with police to figure out who sent the device, which a senior law enforcement official said was similar to a pipe bomb. The FBI added that there is no threat to public safety.
A message emailed to Soros’ foundation wasn’t immediately returned.
Soros, a billionaire who made his fortune in hedge funds, has donated heavily to liberal causes and is vilified on the right.
He is also the subject of many unfounded conspiracy theories. Recently, conservative critics have, without evidence, accused him of secretly financing a caravan of Central American migrants to make their way north toward Mexico and the U.S.
Others have falsely accused him of being a Nazi collaborator during World War II, when he was a child in Hungary.
Activists frequently post the addresses of homes he owns in Westchester County, north of New York City, on social media sometimes accompanied by ill wishes.
FBI officials didn’t respond to requests for more information late Monday.
