U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston admitted she was angry and shaken Wednesday after discovering she apparently was a secondary target of the person or persons who sent five suspicious packages to Democratic leaders this week.
The packages containing explosives were sent on Wednesday, among others, to former President Obama and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, with Wasserman Schultz's office and name as the return address.
One of those packages, addressed to former Attorney General Eric Holder, had been sent to the wrong address, so it was returned to Wasserman Schultz's office. She confirmed that two of of her Florida offices were evacuated in response.
"We will not be intimidated by this attempted act of violence," the former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair said in a statement. "This appalling attack on our democracy must be vigorously prosecuted, and I am deeply disturbed by the way my name was used."
A suspicious package addressed to former CIA director John Brennan was also sent to the Time Warner building, where CNN is headquartered.
Billionaire Democratic donor George Soros also was sent a package, the FBI said.
All of the bombs were intercepted before anyone was injured, the FBI confirmed.
Wasserman Schultz, still widely seen as a divisive figure in the Democratic Party, was a highly-visible ally of Clinton during her 2016 run for president. But in the end, her contentious relationship with Clinton rival Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., led to her stepping down as the head of the DNC.
"Today, my staff and I will hug each other and our loved ones tightly, and tomorrow get back to work serving the people I was elected to represent," Wasserman Schultz wrote in the statement Wednesday.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have condemned the attacks.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo responded to the incident in a written statement:
“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. Today's greatly disturbing events are a reminder that everyone needs to tone it down in the last two weeks and focus on the issues. That's the type of campaign Floridians deserve.”
President Trump sternly condemned the "political violence" on Wednesday, promising the full weight of the U.S. justice system to find the person or persons responsible. He called for national unity.
