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Is name-calling a billionaire a hate crime? Michael Bloomberg's campaign seems to think so.
Team Bloomberg took to Twitter Monday to decry the defacing of several of his Midwest offices, including two in Michigan. Spray-painted messages say "racist," "sexist," "cop," and "oligarch."
Bloomberg's Ann Arbor campaign office. (Photo: Team Bloomberg)
The presidential candidate’s Ann Arbor and Flint offices were hit earlier this month. In Ann Arbor, vandals sprayed “corporate pig” in giant letters on the front windows. In Flint, they covered a Bloomberg 2020 sign with paper that said “Eat the Rich.”
A Sunday incident in Chicago — which featured the dreaded O-word — appeared to be the final straw. Bloomberg's campaign called it an "act of hate" in a Twitter thread detailing about a half-dozen similar incidents.
Those that use hateful rhetoric and intimidation to influence this election are only driving our country further and further apart.
— Team Bloomberg (@Mike2020) February 24, 2020
America deserves better.
Our campaign stands for unity and progress. Join us: https://t.co/EsjnVf1GpI https://t.co/P6B4izMmWc
Police haven't found the culprits, but campaign manager Kevin Sheekey suspects Bernie bros are to blame.
“We cannot, and will not, tolerate these acts." -- Kevin Sheekey, campaign manager
"While we do not know who is directly responsible, we do know Senator Bernie Sanders and his campaign have repeatedly invoked this language, and the word 'oligarch' specifically when discussing Mike Bloomberg and his campaign," he wrote in a statement.
“Sen. Sanders’ refusal to denounce these illegal acts is a sign of his inability to lead, and his willingness to condone and promote Trump-like rhetoric has no place in our politics. Fortunately, no one has been injured. But this needs to end before someone gets hurt."
