Hudson Valley Democrat Ends Congressional Bid After Kohl’s Arrest

A Democrat running for the 19th Congressional District who was arrested for shoplifting has announced the end of his campaign.

Steven Brisee wrote on Twitter this week that he was finished with politics. The announcement was made in a string of tweets where Brisee blamed autism for his inability to connect with people and raise money.

Brisee faced an uphill climb in his quest to unseat Republican Congressman John Faso after being arrested in September for shoplifting at Kohl's in Newburgh. According to police, Brisee tried to steal $1,500 worth of merchandise from the department store. The Times Union reports that Brisee disputes police claims, saying that while he was arrested in the past for shoplifting, September's arrest was due to his involvement with the pipeline protest.

Either way, Brisee is now out of the race. He posted a message which is now pinned to the top of his timeline that reads "that's enough politics for me." Brisee also updated his Twitter description to read  "Former #NY19 Democratic candidate for Congress."