Arson Suspected in Fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Vermont Office
Authorities in Vermont are treating a fire that occurred in Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office on Friday night as arson, according to local officials.
In a press release issued on Saturday, the Burlington Fire Department stated that the fire was determined to be incendiary in nature and has since been handed over to the Vermont State Police for further investigation.
The state police are currently searching for a male suspect who is believed to have used an accelerant to start a significant fire in a section of the senator’s office, putting staff members at risk. Fortunately, the sprinkler system was able to extinguish the flames, and no injuries were reported among the staff.
As of Saturday afternoon, authorities have not disclosed a motive for the arson attack.
This incident comes after a series of minor incidents involving vandalism, such as stickers and spray-paint defacement, at the offices of various lawmakers in recent months.
Several lawmakers who have shown support for Israel’s actions in Gaza have experienced instances of defacement or vandalism at their state or federal offices.
For example, Rep. Josh Gottheimer reported to Capitol police that “Free Palestine” stickers had been placed on posters outside his Capitol office, referencing Israeli hostages. This was not the first time that Gottheimer’s posters had been tampered with.
Other lawmakers, including Reps. David Valadao and Greg Landsman, have also reported vandalism at their district offices, with one message at Landsman’s office accusing him of supporting genocide.
House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith shared that his home’s garage door was spray-painted with a message in support of a ceasefire. Smith, who initially supported Israel’s actions in Gaza, has since called for a change in approach following a recent bombing incident.
