California’s Democratic Party headquarters Undergoes Evacuation After Receiving Suspicious Package

The California Democratic Party headquarters has been evacuated this afternoon after a “top priority” suspicious package was received by the facility.

Though staffers employed at the headquarter office have since returned to work and everyone is safe, this was not before the police bomb squad was needed in order to investigate the suspicious package received via mail. The evacuation ended around 2:30 pm after nearly a two and a half hour search before the FBI and Sacramento Police Department both determined the package – a large envelope, was not dangerous.

The security scare comes just one week after a series of pipe bombs were sent to Democratic leaders across the country including the likes of former President Obama, CNN’s New York office and the Sacramento office of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris.

Democratic State Party Chairman Eric Bauman said in a statement “After what transpired in 13 high-profile Democrats across the country receiving pipe bombs in the mail, we have been acting in an abundance of caution.”

According to the LA Times, “the reports of bombs sent to other Democrats convinced Bauman to have his staff trained by police in what to look for in suspicious packages. The package that arrived in the mail with a Los Angeles return address was addressed to Thomas Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, although the envelope refers to him as chair of the state party.”

Written on the envelope was “Special attn.: Top priority!! Please rush. Immediate response requested,” which initially set of the red flags within the office.

Bauman also said “We are a high-profile target.. for those people who want to see the Trump revolution continue, we are likely one of the biggest obstructers of that in the country.”

The Florida man suspected of sending the bombs to prominent Democrats has since been arrested charged.