The Seattle Times: Local News: 3 computers stolen from Bush's Bellevue campaign office

Saturday, October 02, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.

3 computers stolen from Bush's Bellevue campaign office
By David Postman and Ashley Bach
Seattle Times staff reporters

A large rock was thrown through the window of Bush-Cheney Washington state headquarters in Bellevue. Three laptops belonging to key campaign workers were taken.

BELLEVUE - Three computers loaded with confidential campaign plans were reported stolen early yesterday in a burglary at President Bush's Washington state campaign headquarters.

Someone threw a rock through a window of the campaign's office in a suburban business park, taking laptops belonging to key campaign workers from the desk of the Bush campaign's state director, Bellevue police and Republican Party officials said.

The Bush campaign and local Republican officials say they're convinced the break-in was politically motivated. They say it appeared to be a targeted burglary and was suspiciously similar to a break-in four years ago at Bush's Bellevue offices.

'Whoever did this was clearly looking for a body of information,' said local Bush campaign spokeswoman Leah Yoon.

Police said their investigation was still in the early stages. But so far, said department spokeswoman Jessamyn Poling, 'there's no indication that it was politically motivated.'

State Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance called it a 'Watergate-style break in,' and said he suspects Democrats are behind it.

"If you're just some burglar looking for computers to sell to buy drugs, you take every laptop in the office, maybe," Vance said. "But they knew exactly whose computers to get."

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