A law enforcement official told CBS News on Saturday the explosives found on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, although it’s unclear how big they were or how much damage they could have done. The DNC and RNC headquarters are a stone’s throw from the Capitol, which was besieged by a pro-Trump mob on Wednesday.
Finding the culprit who planted the pipe bombs is a top priority for the FBI, and all 56 field offices are involved in the investigation, the law enforcement official said. There are wanted posters and bus stop ads depicting someone suspected of planting the bombs, and the agency posted the images to social media on Thursday.
The FBI said Thursday it is offering $ 50,000 for information “leading to the location, arrest, and conviction” of whoever is responsible.
According to the FBI, “multiple law enforcement agencies received reports” of the explosives around 1:00 PM, about the time the riots in the Capitol started to escalate when supporters of President Trump began breaking a barricade in front of the site. Capitol Police told CBS News that they reacted to the height of the attack and were thus stretched thin.
The official said the FBI is aware of the chatter on Twitter about plans to attack state capitals on Jan. 17, and is following this and potential disturbances on other dates.
Andres Triay, Catherine Herridge, April Siese and Caroline Linton contributed to this report.