Politics

Bloomberg Office Vandalized, Campaign Immediately Suggests Bernie Sanders Is To Blame

By United States Department of Veterans Affairs - https://www.flickr.com/photos/veteransaffairs/14854242302/in/album-72157645850082, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42156106

Michael Bloomberg’s campaign office in Knoxville, Tennessee, was vandalized Thursday evening with “Fuck Bloomberg,” “oligarch,” “classist” and “authoritarian” spraypainted on its door.

Bloomberg campaign manager Kevin Sheekey issued a statement Friday saying the vandalism “echoes language from the Sanders campaign and its supporters,” but also saying that they don’t know who’s responsible for the action.

“We call on Bernie Sanders to immediately condemn these attacks and for his campaign to end the Trump-like rhetoric that is clearly encouraging his behaviors to engage in behavior that has no place in our politics,” Sheekey said.

Bloomberg campaign blaming Bernie Sanders for vandalizing their offices, including one in Knoxville, Tenn. today. pic.twitter.com/oQB0gbq1Dy

— Lisa Lerer (@llerer) February 21, 2020

The Knoxville Police Department told WVLT that the office was vandalized sometime between 6 p.m. on Thursday and 7 a.m. on Friday and that there’s an active investigation into the case.

There are no security cameras at the vandalized office and there are no suspects, WVLT reported.

Bloomberg’s campaign office was vandalized just one day after Sanders was criticized during the Democratic debate Wednesday over the aggressive behavior of some of his online supporters.

“I’ve said many times before, we are all responsible for our supporters and we need to step up,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in reference to threatening emails sent by ostensibly Sanders supporters to leaders of the Culinary Workers Union. “That’s what leadership is all about.”

Sanders said he has millions of followers, 99.9% of whom are “decent human beings, are working people, are people who believe in justice, compassion and love.”

“And if there are a few people who make ugly remarks, who attack trade union leaders, I disown those people,” Sanders said.

The Sanders campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.