Mail with donations stolen from Missouri U.S. Senate candidate’s office, police say
Roughly 200 pieces of mail with donations inside and 20 pieces of office equipment were stolen this week from the Kansas City area campaign office of U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce, according to a police incident report.
Kunce, a Democrat seeking the seat held by Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, on Tuesday shared images on Twitter of cluttered desks and half-opened drawers inside the office space in Independence. He said on social media that tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and other resources were stolen.
“Based on the materials taken, it’s clear we were a target,” the candidate said in a tweet.
The alleged burglary could have taken place anytime between March 24 and Monday, the report said. The incident was reported to police on Monday.
Independence police are investigating the matter as a second-degree burglary, a felony under Missouri state law, according to the report. The report indicated that there was no forced entry.
Department spokesman Jack Taylor, reached by phone Friday, said the incident was still under investigation and investigators planned to comb through surveillance videos.
The campaign office is nondescript and on the third floor, he said.
Connor Lounsbury, Kunce’s deputy campaign manager, said in an interview Friday that there are multiple offices in the building and Kunce’s was the only one targeted.
“Our staff is obviously very rattled by it, but ultimately, we’re all here because we believe in Lucas’ message and we believe he’ll make an incredible senator for this state,” he said. “So, there has been no change in our determination but it was certainly rattling for everybody.”
Independence police are also investigating a similar break-in that occurred last week at the campaign headquarters of City Councilman Mike Huff, according to Fox 4.
Huff said that the break-in caused thousands of dollars in damages, the station reported. He said cash and other property were stolen.
The Kunce burglary comes during an eventful week in Missouri’s Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate.
Trudy Busch Valentine, daughter of late Anheuser-Busch chairman and former St. Louis Cardinals owner August “Gussie” Busch Jr., on Tuesday officially launched her campaign against Kunce. Her announcement was preempted by former state Sen. Scott Sifton, who abruptly withdrew on Monday night and threw his support behind Busch Valentine.
Kunce, who grew up in Missouri before attending Yale and joining the military, has been attempting to run a populist campaign to win back working-class voters who have fled the Democratic party for the GOP.
Kunce’s campaign this week treated Busch Valentine’s entry as the Democratic establishment attempting to influence the race against him.
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 3:10 PM.
