One of President Joe Biden's White House's former headaches is once again in the headlines for one of the dumbest possible crimes for a person to commit.
According to The Daily Wire, Sam Brinton, a former Biden Energy Department official who made headlines after being caught stealing women's luggage at the airport, reportedly committed one of his thieving sprees while on official business, meaning it a taxpayer-funded trip.
The news was revealed this week by federal watchdog Functional Government Initiative (FGI).
Questions have arisen over how Brinton passed the rigorous testing required for top security clearances in the U.S. government.
"Not only did Sam Brinton commit a crime, the illegal shopping spree was funded by taxpayers," Pete McGinnis, FGI’s director of communications, told the New York Post.
He added: "The pattern of petty theft shows that Brinton never should’ve been hired and given a security clearance in the first place."
Ex-Biden official Sam Brinton was on secret taxpayer-funded trip at time of luggage thefthttps://t.co/u3UuEGRDUw
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) July 17, 2023
The Daily Wire noted:
According to the report, Brinton’s business trip occurred from July 6 through July 9, 2022. It included a “meeting and site visit to DOE Las Vegas Site.” The four-day trip cost taxpayers $1,951.50, records show.
The documentation also revealed that Brinton stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club located on the Las Vegas Strip.
Brinton was reported to have committed suitcase thefts at three different airports. He pleaded "no contest" and was ordered to pay less than $4,000 in restitution, and was only required to serve a suspended 180-day jail sentence, which means no time behind bars as long as he obeys the law.
Social media erupted over the news that Brinton allegedly committed the theft on the taxpayer's dime.
"Our tax money is abused," one Twitter user wrote.
After the initial fiasco, Brinton was arrested after authorities -- thanks to social media users -- were able to determine that one of the pieces of luggage he had stolen belonged to Tanzanian fashion designer Asya Khamsin.
The Daily Wire added:
Khamsin previously appeared on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” in March, saying that her luggage had been stolen from Reagan National Airport in 2018 on the way to a fashion show, causing catastrophe because she could not show her designs.
Brinton was later pictured wearing one of her one-of-a-kind designs that had been in the suitcase, she said.
The Biden administration can't afford any additional negative PR as it prepares for the 2024 presidential election, but it seems to be worsening by the day.
