A 35-year-old man has been charged by federal prosecutors for allegedly setting fire to the office of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday.
Shant Soghomonian, who is also known as Michael Soghomonian, has been taken into custody on the accusation of using fire to cause damage to a building used for interstate commerce. This information was shared in a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. The incident occurred in Burlington, Vermont, on Friday. If convicted, Soghomonian could face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and be fined up to $250,000. As of now, no date has been set for his initial court appearance.
According to a statement, Soghomonian was caught on a security video spraying a liquid near the outer door of the office and igniting it with a handheld lighter. Shortly after starting the fire, Soghomonian left through a nearby staircase.
Multiple staff members were present inside the office when the fire broke out, fortunately, no injuries were reported. Sanders’ office released a statement clarifying that the senator himself was not present during the incident. The attorney’s office stated that the fire caused damage to the office door and vestibule, while the office floor was affected by water damage from the sprinklers.
In a statement released following the fire, Sanders expressed gratitude to the local, state, and federal law enforcement for their swift response to the incident at his Vermont office, as reported by NBC News.
He expressed gratitude that no one in the office building was injured during the fire.
According to The Washington Post, there has been a rise in threats against members of Congress, which is concerning. Sadly, this trend was further exemplified by the recent fire at Sanders’ office.
In recent years, there have been multiple incidents where lawmakers and individuals associated with them have been targeted in attacks. One such instance occurred in 2022 when a man assaulted Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), using a hammer. Similarly, last year saw an incident where Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was attacked in the elevator of her apartment.
