A Capitol rioter caught on camera stealing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s laptop from her office in June has been charged with burglary, but not everyone thinks the charges fit the crime.
Woman steals computer from Congresswoman Pelosi’s office
A Capitol rioter has been caught on camera stealing Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi’s laptop. Just minutes before she was caught, the speaker had delivered a speech on how there should be no further discussions about wiretapping before Trump releases his tax returns. Shortly after her speech, she spotted someone walking away with what looked like her computer. She immediately shouted and ran after them yelling Hey! You can’t have that! I need it for my work! That is not yours! You cannot take that. The person continued to run but eventually stopped and handed back the computer.
She planned to sell the computer on Craigslist and has already been arrested
A Capitol rioter caught on camera stealing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s laptop has been arrested for carrying out a suspected theft. And she planned to sell it on Craigslist, according to a report released by Capitol Police Thursday.
The investigation is still ongoing, but Sgt. Max Krystowiak with Capitol Police had this to say about how and why they tracked down their suspect: Through video analysis, detectives saw her
But now there are allegations she had more sinister plans for a stolen laptop
A Capitol rioter was caught on camera stealing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s laptop as she walked into a meeting on Capitol Hill Wednesday. The laptop is worth about $2,000 and was recovered after it had been taken from Pelosi’s office in downtown Washington DC. Despite several conspiracy theories involving Russian spies, reports now say that plans to sell it were most likely just idle musings by a woman with a criminal record and psychological problems who have been identified by law enforcement officials. Her plot to sell it to Russian spies is still being investigated, says the report.
Law enforcement officials said Thursday that an investigation revealed much of what suspect Lisa Joy Simonetta, 52, told reporters after she was arrested Wednesday was a lie. A background check uncovered an arrest for felony theft in 1985 as well as a long history of psychiatric issues, including multiple suicide attempts and prescription drug abuse, according to WJLA-TV in Washington. She also has been found guilty of defrauding financial institutions and banks. But reports now say that plans to sell it were most likely just idle musings by a woman with a criminal record and psychological problems who have been identified by law enforcement officials. Her plot to sell it to Russian spies is still being investigated, says the report.
U.S. Representative Adam Schiff claimed China could use the device as a listening device
The report said that another device that was stolen during the same incident, a BlackBerry Q10 phone, was found discarded on a local street corner. The plot to sell it to Russian spies is still being investigated.
There has been speculation as well that China could use the laptop as a listening device. However, this theory has been disputed by experts and members of congress alike as there are few practical reasons for China to want it and little reason why they would trust one given over by the U.S.
Pelosi may have been targeted because she was set to become House speaker said US lawmaker Schiff
Pelosi has been suggested as a target for Russian espionage by members of Congress. The House Speaker, who is set to take on this role in January 2019, was targeted in February 2017 when a Capitol rioter suspected of stealing her laptop was caught on camera during an outburst at her office. There are ample reasons why someone might want not just her laptop but get access to everything she’s got, Representative Adam Schiff said. Schiff claimed that Russians would want information on Speaker Pelosi’s conversations with Trump with regard to sanctions, or any other national security matter. Although Russian involvement is still being investigated, it may be that Pelosi was targeted because she would soon become the new House speaker.
Schiff said he did not know if anyone had accessed the House speaker’s emails
I can’t answer that, he said. The Russian spies are still being investigated.
Schiff said he could not answer whether anyone had accessed Pelosi’s emails after Manriquez allegedly stole them. The Russians, were also charged with hacking into Democratic National Committee computers, Schiff said. He also said that there is no evidence that Republicans were involved in any of these actions. We are looking at all potential links between Russia and associates of Trump, Schiff said. [Waprin]