Trump campaign office break-in sparks suspect search in Virginia

A search was underway in Virginia on Tuesday for a man police said burglarized the Trump for President 2024 campaign office in Ashburn over the weekend.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said it was alerted to the break-in on Sunday around 9 p.m. When deputies arrived on the scene, some 30 miles northwest of Washington, the suspect had already fled, according to a press release shared by authorities.

Surveillance video provided by officials shows an adult male wearing dark clothing, a dark cap and a backpack. On Monday, they released stills from the footage, which sees the suspect inside the Trump campaign office.

It is not clear what, if anything, was taken from the office building, which is being leased by the Trump campaign and also serves as the headquarters of the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee. It’s the same district where Republican Mike Clancy is currently competing against Democrat Suhas Subramanyam for Rep. Jennifer Wexton’s House seat.

Wexton, who was previously diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, announced last year she would not be seeking re-election.

“It is rare to have the office of any political campaign or party broken into,” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said in a statement on Monday. “We are determined to identify the suspect, investigate why it happened, and determine what may have been taken as well as what may have been left behind.”

Chapman called on members of the community who may have information about the suspect to come forward.

The reported break-in comes after the Trump campaign on Saturday said it was hacked by Iran. The digital infiltration allegedly occurred back in June, around the same time former President Donald Trump was mulling his vice presidential pick.

Politico was first to report the hack, after it said it began receiving emails in July from an anonymous account sharing internal documents from the Trump campaign. They included research papers on at least two of the contenders to be Trump’s running mate, including the eventual GOP vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

On Monday, the FBI confirmed to the Washington Post that it is investigating the alleged incident in addition to attempted hacks of three Biden-Harris campaign staffers as well as former Trump adviser Roger Stone.

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