Break-in at Romney Campaign Headquarters Deemed 'Routine'

BOSTON – The campaign headquarters for Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney was burglarized over the weekend and a television and computers stolen.

A campaign spokesman for the former Massachusetts governor described the crime as "a routine burglary" and did not believe it was politically motivated.

"Several laptops and a TV were stolen," said campaign spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom. "All the computers are password-enabled and the hard drives are encrypted. The only thing they're good for is parts."

The Boston Police Department was called to the scene, an office building overlooking Boston Harbor in the city's North End, but a report was not immediately available, said Officer Eddy Chrispin.

The incident is the second of its kind recently involving a presidential contender. Last month a man was arrested and charged with breaking into a Hartford, Conn., office belonging to Sen. Chris Dodd, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

The accused lived in a city shelter and had a lengthy arrest record, and a city police official said that crime likely was prompted to support a drug habit.

A burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate building in Washington on June 17, 1972, triggered a coverup that ultimately led to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon.