A man accused of setting a fire outside Bernie Sanders’ office stayed at an area hotel for weeks

By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press

Court documents say a man charged with setting a fire outside the Vermont office of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders had been staying at an area hotel for nearly two months. Shant Michael Soghomonian was spotted outside Sanders’ office the day before and the day of the fire. Federal agents say Shant Michael Soghomonian entered the building on Friday and went to Sanders’ third-floor office where security video showed him dumping a liquid on the bottom of the door and setting it afire. The building’s interior suffered some damage from the fire and sprinklers but no one was hurt. Sanders was not in the office at the time. Soghomonian was arrested Sunday. It was not immediately known if Soghomonian had a lawyer.