Sam Brinton, a non-binary individual who served in the Biden Administration, was still paid a government salary even though he was facing a felony charge at the same time.
Fox News reports that he was paid a six-figure government salary while facing a felony charge for the alleged theft of luggage from an airport.
Brinton was a senior Department of Energy (DOE) official charged with stealing airport luggage twice. He was placed on administrative leave and charged with stealing luggage valued at $2,325 from a luggage carousel at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on September 16, 2023.
The conservative outlet known as Townhall submitted a Freedom of Information Request Act (FOIA) request and found that Brintons salary with the government came in at $178,000 annually. He was still being paid that salary for approximately a month while he was on leave for the felony charges that he was facing.
I hereby notify you that you are being placed on Administrative Leave, with pay, effective immediately, wrote Assistant Secretary Dr. Kathryn Huff in a letter dated October 28.
Huff also noted that Brinton could no longer access government buildings or records. Brinton signed the letter at the bottom, noting it had been received.
In the past, the Biden Administration had refused to say if Brinton was still receiving a government check or not. Brinton oversaw nuclear waste policy for the Department of Energy in the last year. However, Brinton was no longer with the agency as of December 12, 2022, according to the DOE.
Fox News reached out to the Department of Energy for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
This week, Brinton agreed to a court-mandated mental health evaluation after the incidents involving the theft of airport luggage in September.
The adult diversion program will have Brinton undergo a mental health evaluation, write a letter of apology, return stolen property to the owners, and do three days of community service, according to FOX affiliate KMSP-TV.
Brinton avoided jail time on a similar charge after stealing $3670.74 worth of luggage from another victim. Brinton was ordered to return that money to the victim and pay a $500 crime fee. Brinton was said to have stolen that amount of luggage from Harry Reid International Airport in July 2022. The luggage contained jewelry and clothing with a high price tag. The court ordered Brinton to pay that all back.
Login