A 35-year-old man has been charged by federal prosecutors for allegedly setting fire to Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) office on Sunday.
Shant Soghomonian, who is also known as Michael Soghomonian, has been arrested on a charge of using fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce. This information was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont in a statement. The incident occurred in Burlington, Vermont, on Friday. Soghomonian could potentially face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. As of now, no date has been set for Soghomonian’s initial court appearance.
During the fire, there were staff members present inside the office, fortunately, no one sustained any injuries. It was later confirmed by Sanders’ office that the senator was not present during the incident. The attorney’s office released a statement stating that the office door and vestibule suffered fire damage, and the office floor was impacted by water damage from the sprinklers.
Sanders expressed his gratitude to the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for their prompt response to the fire at his Vermont office, according to NBC News.
He expressed gratitude that none of the individuals present in the office building during the fire suffered any injuries.
According to The Washington Post, there has been a rise in threats against members of Congress, and the fire at Sanders’ office is a troubling example of this trend.
In recent years, there have been multiple instances of attacks on lawmakers and individuals in their proximity. For instance, in 2022, an incident occurred where a man assaulted Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), using a hammer. Similarly, last year, another incident took place where a man attacked Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) in the elevator of her apartment.
