The Political Insider

Calls are growing for a Department of Energy official’s firing after surveillance videos appear to show him stealing a woman’s suitcase from an airport in September.

Sam Brinton, who is listed on the DOE’s website as a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition, has been charged with stealing the bag, valued at over $2,300, from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.

Brinton was seen on video grabbing a Vera Bradley suitcase and removing its ID tag. 

Brinton initially denied stealing the bag but later confessed, suggesting exhaustion as the culprit.

After stealing the suitcase, Brinton was captured on surveillance cameras using it on at least two occasions.

RELATED: Cotton Slams ‘Woke’ Kroger CEO to His Face For Asking Republicans to Save Them From Dem Regulations: ‘Best of Luck’

Calls to Fire Biden Energy Official

The New York Post reports 16 Republican lawmakers have called on Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to fire Sam Brinton after the charges for stealing a suitcase were filed.

“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​,” they wrote in a letter to Granholm.

The letter accuses the DOE of trying to keep Brinton’s case quiet, stating that they “issued notice that Sam Brinton was placed on leave” but they failed to provide “crucial context” clarifying that his “recent employment status was the result of a felony charge.”

Brinton’s crime would have been a black eye for the Energy Department.

RELATED: Washington Post: Shark Week is Racist and Overrepresents Men Named Mike

The ‘Gender Fluid’ Energy Official

Brinton’s profile page on the Department of Energy website actually lists his ‘non-binary’ self-description as an attribute for his position.

Under his credentials, Brinton is described as “a well-known advocate for LGBTQ youth.”

Which is a super-serious plus when you’re dealing with nuclear waste, I suppose.

Brinton, according to the page, also “helped to secure protections against the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy in more than half of the country.”

“They identify as gender-fluid and use the pronouns they, them, and theirs,” it reads.

The media celebrated Brinton’s hire as ‘historic.’ 

Yahoo News reported that “Brinton’s level of authenticity … represents a new vanguard of leaders who offer transparency and honesty” and that President Biden’s hiring of him “made history.”

They also heralded Brinton’s “activism in kink subculture.”

The DOE has placed Brinton on leave following the incident but has refused to say whether he is still being paid by the federal government.

A court hearing is set for December 19th in relation to the case.