Michele Bachmann has been the subject of an ethics probe over potential campaign finance violations (which she insists has nothing to do with her decision not to seek reelection), but she may be able to earn some brownie points for foiling a Capitol Hill bandit. Javier Sanchez, Bachmann’s legislative director, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly stealing cash from the office. NBC News reports that after two thefts in the office in February and March, police set a trap by leaving two envelopes filled with cash in staffers’ desks and setting up a hidden camera. After the cash went missing on June 14, Sanchez told police, “I may have taken a quarter once and a while, but I would pay it back.” Then they showed him surveillance footage and he asked for a lawyer. Sanchez is denying the charges, and it’s unclear if there’s any connection to a string of thefts in the building last year. When asked about Sanchez, a Bachmann spokesman said he’s “no longer with the office.”
