Former senior Department of Energy (DOE) official Sam Brinton is scheduled to appear in Minnesota court on Wednesday to face charges stemming from a September baggage theft.
In late October, Brinton was charged with stealing a woman's luggage worth $2,325 near the baggage claim area at Minneapolis St. Paul Airport (MSP) on Sept. 16. According to a criminal complaint filed in a Hennepin County court, Brinton faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine as a result of the incident.
The hearing was originally slated for Dec. 19, but was delayed to Feb. 15 after a request from Brinton's defense counsel. The judge presiding over the case, however, rejected multiple requests from defense lawyers to allow Brinton to attend the hearing remotely, arguing Brinton was in the midst of dealing with "employment issues" and that the case had garnered substantial media attention.
"The current District Policy does not allow for remote appearances to be conducted for Felony 1st Appearances on the Property Drug Calendar with the only exception given to inmates in the custody of the Department of Corrections of the State of Minnesota," Judge Gina Brandt wrote to Brinton's lawyers in December. "Therefore, I must deny your request again."
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Following media reports regarding the Minnesota charges in November, meanwhile, police in Las Vegas reopened an unsolved case regarding the July 6 theft of a bag worth $3,670 at Harry Reid International Airport. In light of the information, Nevada investigators "immediately recognized" Brinton "as the suspect pertaining to this case" and charged Brinton.
Brinton faces up to 10 years in prison for the alleged theft of the bag — which contained valued at $1,700, clothing worth $850 and makeup valued at $500 — in Las Vegas. In December, Brinton appeared at a court hearing in Clark County, Nevada, where attorneys agreed on bail in the case being set at $15,000. Brinton was also booked and released.
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The DOE announced on Dec. 12 that Brinton had departed the agency, but wouldn't comment on the reason for the departure after the charges in Minnesota and Nevada. A spokesperson for the DOE said the agency wasn't allowed to comment on personnel matters.
The agency, though, had faced pressure from Republican lawmakers over Brinton's employment status and security clearance.
"The reported details of Sam Brinton’s thievery are bizarre and disturbing," Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, told Fox News Digital in December. "Americans deserve transparency about who and what their taxpayer dollars are funding."
And Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, questioned Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm over the DOE's vetting process for employees and appointees.
"It is clear as day that felons should not hold security clearances," Barrasso told Fox News Digital. "For months, I’ve been demanding answers from the Department of Energy on their failed security clearance process. Secretary Granholm has provided none."
Brinton made headlines in June after being chosen to be the DOE's deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition. Brinton is one of the federal government's first-ever nonbinary officials.
An attorney representing Brinton didn't respond to requests for comment.
