TIMES.KY

Cayman Islands, Caribbeanand International News
Wednesday, Mar 22, 2023

Sam Brinton, non-binary Biden official arrested over stolen suitcase

Sam Brinton, a Biden administration nuclear official, made headlines this week after they were arrested for allegedly stealing a woman’s suitcase in Minneapolis airport -- and then using it for a month before claiming it was taken by accident.

Sam Brinton, a Biden administration nuclear official, made headlines this week after they were arrested for allegedly stealing a woman’s suitcase in Minneapolis airport — and then using it for a month before claiming it was taken by accident.

But it isn’t the first time the 35-year-old nuclear engineer has made the news.

Brinton, who uses they/them pronouns, became one of the federal government’s first gender non-binary officials earlier this year when they took on a role in the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy.

So who is Sam Brinton – and what path did they take to get in the Biden administration?



Southern Baptist background

Brinton was born in Iowa to Southern Baptist missionary parents who moved the family from place to place.

They told Yahoo Life last month that they came out as bisexual to their parents in high school — and was quickly put into a conversion therapy program for two years in a bid to change their sexual identity.

“It caused a lot of suicidal ideation in my life,” Brinton told the outlet.

“It did a lot of damage to both me and my family because my family was given the false hope that I could just flip a switch, and change when I would recognize that I wasn’t changing.”

Their experience spurred them to launch the #50Bills50States campaign with The Trevor Project, a LGBTQ youth organization, to try and ban conversion therapy nationwide.

“We passed more than 20 laws ending conversion therapy, protecting future generations from ever having to go through what I went through,” Brinton said.

It was around this time that Brinton decided to start pursuing nuclear engineering.


From nuclear engineer to government official

Brinton obtained their undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering with a nuclear engineering focus from Kansas State University before going on to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to receive graduate degrees in nuclear science and engineering.

Before taking up the government job, Brinton spent several years working for liberal and environmentalist think tanks — including the Breakthrough Institute, Clean Air Task Force and Third Way.

They were named deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition at the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy back in June.

Brinton celebrated the new gig by posting a photo on social media that showed them wearing a red jumpsuit, bright lipstick and Stars and Stripes-clad stilettos.

In their role, Brinton manages “ongoing research and development related to long-term disposition of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste,” according to their official government bio page.


Views on gender identity

Brinton opened up on becoming the first openly genderfluid person in government service, telling Yahoo Life that they had been given an opportunity to “serve my country as I am.”

“I can’t change my identity more than anyone can change intrinsic parts about themselves, but I can change my openness,” they said.

“And so I am given the opportunity to serve my country as I am, and that’s a really important aspect of my work because I work on nuclear waste management, where transparency and honesty and trust-building are so critical.”

They added: “So if I can’t be myself, it’s really hard to build those relationships. I’m proud to say that, yes, I get to be the first openly genderfluid person in this type of government service, but I won’t be the last.”


The suitcase

Brinton’s arrest for the alleged theft came just months after they took up the federal government gig.

They are accused of snatching a $2,325 Vera Bradley suitcase from baggage claim at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport back on Sept. 16, court documents say.

When Brinton was confronted by police nearly a month later, they initially denied stealing the bag — insisting their clothes were inside the suitcase at the time.

But Brinton quickly backtracked and claimed they had taken the piece of luggage by mistake.

Brinton told police they first realized the bag wasn’t theirs when they opened it at the hotel. They got nervous that someone would think they stole it, so they emptied out the suitcase and dumped the woman’s clothes in the drawers of the hotel room, the court documents say.

Surveillance footage showed Brinton allegedly grabbing the luggage from the carousel and removing the ID tag identifying the owner. Brinton was later captured on surveillance using the same suitcase on at least two trips to Washington, DC, on Sept. 18 and Oct. 9, according to authorities.

The Biden official was charged with felony theft of a moveable property without consent.

Newsletter

Related Articles

TIMES.KY
Close
0:00
0:00
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
A brief banking situation report
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
BBC Director General, Tim Davie, has apologized, but not resigned, yet, following the disruption of sports programmes over the weekend
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
The unelected UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an immigrant himself, defends new controversial crackdown on illegal migration
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
Don Lemon, a CNN anchor, has provided a list of five areas that he believes the black community needs to address.
Hello. Here is our news digest from London.
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Givenchy Store in New York Robbed of $50,000 in Merchandise
European MP Clare Daly condemns US attack on Nord Stream
Former U.S. President Carter will spend his remaining time at home and receive hospice care instead of medication
Tucker Carlson called Trump a 'demonic force'
US Joins 15 NATO Nations in Largest Space Data Collection Initiative in History
White House: No ETs over the United States
U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada
Being a Tiktoker might be expensive…
SpaceX, the private space exploration company, made a significant breakthrough in their mission to reach space.
China's top tech firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, NetEase, and JD.com, are developing their own versions of Open AI's AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT
This shocking picture, showing how terrible is the results of the earthquake in Turkey
President Joe Biden delivered the 2023 State of the Union Address , in order to help Americans that missed the 2022 speech, do not have internet, and suffer from short memory.
The desk of King Carlos Alberto of Sardinia has many secret compartments
Today's news from Britain - 9th February 2023
The five largest oil companies in the West generated combined profits of nearly $200 billion in 2022, which has led to increased calls for governments to impose tougher windfall taxes
2 earthquakes in Turkey killed over 2,300 people
Powerful Earthquake Strikes Turkey and Syria, Killing More Than 1,300 People.
×