According to a Fox News report, former senior Department of Energy (DOE) official Sam Brinton committed one of his thefts of baggage while on an official government trip to the Nevada National Security Site. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is asking the Biden Administration why the security and vetting process missed Brinton’s apparent theft compulsion before any appointment. The concern is that Brinton’s luggage may have been checked, but Brinton was not as a high-ranking Energy Department official.
Brinton’s appointment as a nonbinary individual was heralded by President Joe Biden and DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm as a trailblazing move by the Administration. The Administration then went largely into radio silence after Brinton’s arrest for multiple thefts last year of women’s bags. Brinton appeared in public wearing some of the stolen dresses.
One such theft occurred in early July 2022 on a trip to the DOE-operated Nevada National Security Site, according to watchdog group Functional Government Initiative (FGI). Brinton arrived at Harry Reid International Airport on a United Airlines flight from Washington, D.C. on July 6, 2022. Brinton proceeded to steal a suitcase with an total estimated worth of $3,670, including jewelry valued at $1,700, clothing worth $850 and makeup valued at $500.
Brinton was later charged with another theft at another airport. A plea avoided jail time in the grand larceny case, resulting in a 180-day suspended jail sentence and an order by Clark County Judge Ann Zimmerman to simply “stay out of trouble.”
Brinton also avoided jail time in the separate theft of $2,325 from the luggage carousel at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on Sept. 16.
Barrasso is asking a still unanswered question of how Brinton made it through the security clearance and vetting process. This is a highly sensitive position as reflected in a trip to the Nevada National Security Site which is described as “a preferred location for experiments supporting the National Nuclear Security Administration’s nuclear weapons Stockpile Stewardship Programs, national defense programs, and national security research, development and training programs, as well as vital programs of other federal agencies.”
I have held Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance since the Reagan Administration. I can attest to how they come with extensive field interviews and polygraph examinations.
What is curious about the Brinton case is that it is unlikely that these were the only two such crimes. This has the markings of an individual who is so mentally unstable or delusional that the compulsion could not even be resisted on an official national security related trip.
Of course, it is possible that this is not an irresistible compulsion but a criminal calculation that the chances of suspicion or detection is reduced for a high-ranking government official on official travel. Deterrence is a combination of the likelihood of detection and the severity of punishment. Criminals make a calculated decision that is often reinforced by low detection rates and relatively low penalties for property offenses. Indeed, we have seen cities virtually abandon shoplifting crimes as a priority while others have reduced charges overall for many offenses as in New York. In that environment, a criminal may make a rational choice that crime does pay.
Yet, there should be answers on whether there were any indicators missed in the background investigation. Brinton was in a sensitive position and could have been targeted for blackmail or coercive measures by foreign intelligence or criminal elements. It is not clear if Brinton was asked about criminal conduct or theft in the course of these pre-clearance interviews — or whether a polygraph examination was performed. Those seem legitimate questions for Secretary Granholm and the DOE to answer.
Back in the yesteryear a Q-Clearance meant something. Now we give Secret or Top Secret out like candy. It really makes you wonder who the Captain of the Ship is; do the officers and crew really care about the worthiness of the vessel? This one particular individual clearly demonstrates the disparity between liberal and conservative law enforcement, or stated another way, if apprehended for a crime, will the charges be watered down or stacked higher? Our ships rudder is damaged, stuck towards port. The crew must make correction, this continuous circling is making me dizzy.
If there’s anyone who doesn’t believe that transgender‘s have major, psychological problems, raise your hand
Adam…………as my Louisiana Mamaw used to say: “That boy’s not right in the head”.
Whether they do or not Breinton is a theif. Straight or gay he is a theif.
Trans or not he is a theif.
Mentally healthy or not he is a theif.
People who engage in theft pretty much always have lots of other bad conduct that should be gigantic red flags.
And theives should never get security clearances.
Sam Brinton also likes checking luggage durability incognito
The quality and character this person displays (i.e. stealing luggage) is reflective of the Biden admin.
And those pics give me the creeps.
If this farce of an administration would hire the likes of Sam Brinton, heaven only knows who or what else is crawling around ‘The People’s House’. I do think a small bag of cocaine found in the inner sanctum is far from the worst of our worries concerning this rogue regime. If there is not enough common sense remaining in a majority of legally voting citizens to remove the prog/left dems from any form of public office at this time then we are, truly, done as a nation, a culture, and as a bright and shining vision of freedom to the remainder of the world. We have, in fact, become the laughing stock of the world.
Why does this remind me of: John Wayne Gacy “Pogo the Clown” ?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2021/3/19/22338876/john-wayne-gacy-serial-killer-house-chicago-evidence-art-paintings-devil-disguise-peacock
https://youtu.be/uUi-m3Ugo-g
C’mon Jonathan. Brinton is a diversity hire !! Conditional Discharges of any felony charges is “equity”. Sound about right ?
This was one of the Biden appointments (and there are many others) that legitimately made me think someone put drugs in my coffee. It is possible to reject someone for a position and simultaneously not ‘hate’ them, a notion that’s lost on people that think their feelings are critical reasoning.
The good news is the light that has been shone on just how much our mental health crisis is spiraling out of control. People with pathologies can seldom self-evaluate them or even acknowledge their existence. Biden has been a masterclass in exploiting and enabling those people. And indeed, formerly, nobody in their right mind would have granted such a person a sensitive clearance even 10 or 15 years ago. It’s madness, and we don’t have to just go along with it.
It’s obvious why he was hired. HE filled a desired box and all other considerations such as merit, risk, character and such did not matter. This is what you get with the death of merit.
A psychological basket case with an insider’s access to our nuclear security programs. What could possibly go wrong?
Decent, common sense parents would not hire that creature to babysit. Yet this administration elevates it (and numerous others) to an important position of authority.
This administration’s basic premise is: There are no facts of reality. There are only our urges and desires. What this case, and countless others, illustrate is: You can evade reality. But you cannot escape the consequence of evading reality.
We will be thrilled when the Democrats are relieved of their duties in the Executive Branch of our government, thus endng the Barnum & Bailey era at the White House.
“Send OUT the Clowns”, please.
It seems apparent to me that this individual is as sane as most Biden Administration officials.
Fox News? Hahahaha! Bunch of liars.
Had I had the excess baggage the guy had would I have ever been granted either a DOD Top Secret Clearance or the DOE clearance I had that was above Top Secret.
But then I am not a fluid non-binary Democrat but just a White, Christian, Heterosexual, Gun Owning, toxic Male with a proven record of honesty, ethical conduct, and military service disabled Veteran with a proven background of service in the military and DOD civilian service in a position that demanded the utmost in squeaky clean conduct that a very conservative organization required.
Identity politics as is being done today by the Biden Administration is a terminal cancer if left unchecked.
Affirmative Action was bad enough when the unqualified were pushed upward but today’s outrageous action is utterly wrong.
All you have to do is look around at the many such appointments that have been. made….starting with the choice for the VP job, SecDef, SecDHS, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Supreme Court, and so many others.
One more case of no accountability from a Biden administration official. Makes me want to throw up.
The only thing that mattered was “binary” He checked the box nothing else mattered.
“non-binary”.
Britton flaunted his loot so he was not trying to hide. He openly wore dresses and scarves that shouted extremely open behavior as if he wanted to get caught.
So they catch him, they catch him, and they catch him, in crime after crime, and because it’s a demoncrat it’s no harm no foul or the fake conviction because a low end “suspended” sentence (no prison or jail time even though sentencing dictates it ). So caught guilty and convicted, oh well we will just pretend you did your time in the slammer but you never have to !
This is what Ted Kennedy got after murdering Mary Jo Kepechne. The demoncrat suspended sentence, the never go to jail and stay out for free card.
There is no two tier system of justice, they say. Oh come now
This reminds me of Robert Gene Baker (D) from the LBJ (D) administration whom I was just reading about.
After going over his history and others related like Billy Sol Estes (D), I realized the demoncrat party was so sick and dirty back then it is no wonder we see what we see now.
While no one should try to rehabilitate Nixon. He deserves the historical scorn he receives,
At the same time Nixon was a rank amateur at abuse of power compared to LBJ.