Warrant issued for Energy Department official after 2nd alleged luggage stealing incident

An official with the Biden Energy Department has been accused of stealing luggage for a second time, this time from Harry Reid International Airport, 8NewsNow reports.

A felony warrant has been issued for Sam Brinton, who is a deputy assistant secretary of the office of spent fuel and waste disposition, according to the Office of Nuclear Energy’s website. Brinton originally gained attention due the fact that they identify as non-binary. Brinton also allegedly stole a woman’s suitcase from a Minneapolis airport in September.

Brinton, 35, was charged with grand larceny with a value between $1,200 and $5,000.

Court documents say Brinton was placed on leave from the Energy Department after they were charged with felony theft for stealing a woman’s Vera Bradley suitcase from baggage claim at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on Sept. 16.

The suitcase and the woman’s belongings inside it were valued at $2,325. Brinton initially denied taking the luggage but later claimed they mistook it for their own bag — despite never having checked a bag in before their flight. Video surveillance showed them pulling off the suitcase’s ID tag after taking it from the baggage claim carousel. They were later seen using the suitcase on at least two occasions.

GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and 15 other Republicans sent a letter to Energy Secretary on Tuesday calling for Brinton's removal from the department.

“We demand the resignation of Sam Brinton, and we implore you to set aside petty politics and appoint only the most qualified and dedicated individuals to influence America’s energy sector,” the GOP lawmakers wrote.

An op-ed was published in LGBTQ Nation this week, saying that while Brinton's actions are their own fault, "the fallout faced by the LGBTQ+ community could have easily been avoided."

"The red flags regarding Brinton were overwhelming and obvious to all who cared to see them. Unfortunately, some of America’s top LGBTQ+ activists and organizations were willfully blind to Brinton’s shortcomings," LGBTQ Nation's Wayne Besen wrote.

"These organizations, such as the Trevor Project and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), ignored clear warning signs and incontrovertible evidence because Brinton provided these groups with a seemingly perfect ex-gay survivor story to expose horrific conversion therapy practices and ideology," Besen wrote. "While these advocates were well-intentioned, they took a shortcut, looked the other way, and elevated them without ever asking: Is Sam Brinton’s story too good to be true?"