Michelle Bachmann Aide Arrested on Theft Charges

WASHINGTON (TheBlaze/AP) -- A top aide to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has been arrested and charged with thefts that took place in a House office building.

A spokesman for the U.S. Capitol Police says 37-year-old Javier Sanchez of Virginia was arrested last Thursday.

Javier Sanchez worked as a senior legislative assistant to Rep. Bachmann. (AP)

Sanchez was a senior legislative assistant to Bachmann, a Minnesota Republican. Her office is in the Rayburn office building, where police say the thefts took place.

“[T]hefts in the Rayburn House Office Building have been under investigation since earlier this year. A suspect was identified, and Sanchez was arrested and charged,” the Washington Post reports.

“The 37-year-old Virginia resident has been charged with second-degree theft, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine,” the report adds.

Sanchez has been charged with theft of money or goods less than $1,000 in value.

“Sanchez was caught in a sting operation launched by Capitol Police involving a hidden camera and two envelopes of cash,” NBC Washington reports.

Bachmann spokesman Dan Kotman says Sanchez was no longer with the office as of Friday.

A favorite of the tea party movement, Bachmann ran unsuccessfully for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. She recently announced she will not be seeking another term in the House.

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Featured image AP photo.