Bloomberg camp blames Sanders after Chicago office vandalized with ‘oligarch’ graffiti

Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign on Monday said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) shoulders some of the blame for vandalism at a Bloomberg office in Chicago that was sprayed with the word “oligarch” over the weekend.

“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,” Bloomberg campaign manager Kevin Sheekey said in a statement.

Sheekey called on Sanders to tell his supporters and campaign staff to “elevate the discourse in this campaign and end their spread of hateful rhetoric.”

“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,” Sheekey added.

A spokesperson for the Sanders campaign declined to comment.

The words “racist,” “sexist,” “GOP,” and “oligarch,” were sprayed in graffiti across the former New York City mayor’s campaign office in Chicago, The Chicago Sun-Times reported Monday.

Police are investigating the matter, according to the newspaper.

The incident in Chicago followed what Bloomberg’s campaign said were six acts of vandalism at campaign offices earlier this month in Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Utah.

“Eat the Rich”
Our office in Flint, MI

America deserves better. pic.twitter.com/ar5jKPmIJs

— Team Bloomberg (@Mike2020) February 24, 2020

“Oligarch”
Our office in Youngstown, OH

America deserves better. pic.twitter.com/zDdv2CZzVs

— Team Bloomberg (@Mike2020) February 24, 2020

Sanders and members of his campaign staff have previously called Bloomberg, a billionaire who is self-funding his campaign, an oligarch.

Sanders campaign press secretary Briahna Joy Gray tweeted this month that Bloomberg “is an oligarch.” During last week’s debate in Las Vegas, Sanders said during his closing remarks that “real change never takes place from the top on down, never takes place from an oligarchy controlled by billionaires.”