Man accused of lighting fire outside Bernie Sanders’ office had past brushes with the law

By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press

Prosecutors say the man accused of starting a fire outside U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office has had past brushes with the law involving guns and a history of traveling from place to place. According to an affidavit, 35-year-old Shant Michael Soghomonian threw liquid at the bottom of the door that opens into Sanders’ third-floor office in Burlington and set it on fire with a lighter last Friday. Seven employees working in the office at the time were unharmed and able to evacuate. The building’s interior suffered some damage from the fire and from water sprinklers. Soghomonian is currently in custody. He was scheduled for a detention hearing on Thursday afternoon.