It's hardly Watergate, but there has reportedly been a burglary at the South Philadelphia campaign office of Christian DiCicco (read: state Sen. Vince Fumo), who is trying to unseat Pennsylvania state Rep. Bill Keller (read: electrical union leader John J. Dougherty) in next month's primary.
Police were on hand this morning, at 1616 E. Passyunk Ave., to eyeball a couch and 10 pictures that were slashed with a razor or other sharp-edged tool Sunday night.
Missing were a camera, some policy papers and internal poll data.
Not missing were a $500 radio, a flat-screen TV and two laptop computers.
"Obviously, we have our suspicions," said DiCicco friend Brian Abernathy, a legislative aide on leave from the office of City Councilman Frank DiCicco, Christian DiCicco's father. Abernathy was referring to the Dougherty camp, as this race is largely viewed as the latest battle between Fumo and Dougherty.
"We don't have proof of anything, but the fact that the most expensive item they stole was a polling memo... Well, we are comfortable making some assumptions," Abernathy said.
It's not clear how the perpetrator, or perpetrators, got in. There were no broken doors or windows.
Update: The Dougherty campaign responds. "Obviously, we had no involvement. We had no knowledge of anyone associated with this campaign participating in this alleged break-in," said Dougherty spokesman Frank Keel. "This kindof stuff should not happen in this or any political campaign. There is no place for it."
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