Hero Ex-City Councilman Charged With Stealing DNC Parking Passes and Food Vouchers

On Sunday, former Harrisburg city councilman Brad Koplinski was arrested at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia after being caught on security cameras stealing parking passes and food vouchers from a media logistics operation for the Democratic National Convention.

Court documents show that Koplinski, who served on the Harrisburg city council for eight years before running for lieutenant governor, is charged with burglary, trespassing, theft, and receiving stolen property. He is due in court for a preliminary hearing on August 8 after posting $10,000 bail.

Cameron Kline, a spokesman for the D.A.’s office, told Philly.com that Koplinski used a press pass from last week’s Republican National Convention to enter the convention center and steal a bunch of DNC passes. In addition to being caught on security cameras, a DNC staffer noticed the passes were missing, because they were numbered.

But what was Koplinski, a staunch Democrat, doing at the RNC? Having fun! A Republican friend from Iowa invited him to attend, he told PennLive.com last week offering a pass with privileges to see the convention floor, in exchange for help selling campaign paraphernalia.

“Conventions are as much spectacle as policy statements,” he said. “I’m also a political junkie...Watching from a pure political standpoint is interesting.”

Also, he collects pins: “You can find unique items here that you can’t find anywhere else.” Yeah you can, you sly sonuvabitch.