Blumenthal briefed after rash of bombs mailed to politicians

<p>Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Jim Himes&nbsp;are among local politicians taking special security precautions in response to the multiple pipe bombs sent to prominent U.S. Democrats.</p>

News 12 Staff

Oct 25, 2018, 4:31 PM

Updated 2,254 days ago

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Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Jim Himes are among local politicians taking special security precautions in response to the multiple pipe bombs sent to prominent U.S. Democrats.
Although the senator tells News 12 he is not aware of any imminent threat to politicians in Connecticut, he says he has received very specific security instruction from local, state and federal law enforcement.
Bridgeport Police Chief AJ Perez says he has been in contact with prominent state Democrats after speaking with authorities at the ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI. They advised him to reach out to politicians in the Democratic Party who would benefit from taking common-sense security precautions in response to this situation.
"I reached out to Sen. Blumenthal yesterday and I just reminded him that he's a big target, that he should be very vigilant, especially at home, because that's where they're sending these devices," says Perez.
Blumenthal says the call was reassuring and that he appreciated Perez reaching out.
Blumenthal says he is more concerned about the U.S. Constitution and American democracy, which he believes are the real targets of the recent attacks.
Like Blumenthal, Himes called on the nation to condemn acts of terror that target political figures simply because of the beliefs they hold.
"For the safety of my family and staff and people around my offices, we have been in close coordination with local law enforcement, with the Capitol Police so we're keeping a very close eye on the situation," says Himes.
Sen. Chris Murphy also added Thursday, "This is really scary. It doesn't seem to be ending with the new terrorist attacks today. Obviously I'm watching carefully to make sure that none of my staff or my family are in danger."