Sam Brinton

A Department of Energy spokesperson said Sam Brinton, the first openly gender-fluid senior government official, no longer works at the agency.

Brinton initially denied knowingly taking anything that didn’t belong to them during a conversation with law enforcement Friday, but they called back a few hours later and said they hadn’t been “completely honest,” the complaint says. 18 and checked it, according to the complaint, which also stated that no clothing was recovered from the hotel room. Records show that Brinton did not check a bag when they departed Washington, D.C., for Minneapolis, the complaint states. The estimated value of the bag missing from the Minneapolis airport and its contents is $2,325, according to a complaint filed with Minnesota’s 4th Judicial District Court on Oct. In October, they were placed on leave from their government position following an investigation into allegations that they stole a Vera Bradley suitcase from the baggage claim at the Minneapolis-St. NBC News has requested a copy of the warrant from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department but has not received it yet.

Sam Brinton, a nonbinary Biden administration official, is no longer employed by the Department of Energy, according to a spokesperson.

[penned a letter](https://files.constantcontact.com/647991c4801/bcc50571-b74c-484f-be6f-c58965867dde.pdf?rdr=true) to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm expressing concerns about the accusations against Brinton and demanding their resignation. However, he claims, left-wing politicians and activists were more concerned about advancing a “narrative” that conversion therapy is [harmful to those subjected to it](https://www.metroweekly.com/2020/06/conversion-therapy-increases-risk-of-suicide-for-gay-bisexual-adults/), and embracing the idea that homosexuality is not a mental disorder — contrary to what many social conservatives believe. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. According to the arrest warrant, Brinton was seen on video allegedly examining the tag, placing it back on the carousel, looking around furtively, and removing it from the carousel once again before leaving the airport with the suitcase. Since the accusations against Brinton became public, some people have begun questioning Brinton’s background and their veracity. The bag and its contents were valued at $3,670, containing more than $1,700 worth of jewelry, $850 worth of clothing, and $500 worth of makeup, according to a felony arrest warrant issued for Brinton.

Brinton is accused of stealing two different women's bags from airport baggage claims.

Brinton later said they took the bag by mistake even though they hadn’t checked any bags on the flight. Brinton first denied taking the bag when questioned by legal officials. Court documents, in that case, allege that security camera footage caught Brinton removing the bag from the airport baggage claim carousel, ripping off the bag’s tag, and hurrying out the door. Last week, Brinton was accused of stealing a second woman’s bag worth an estimated $3,670 from the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Tragically, [national LGBTQ+ groups elevated] the one person with an unverifiable flashy story, and now we suffer the consequences.” Brinton worked as deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition in the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy.