Samuel Brinton’s family once again defended themselves against allegations by President Joe Biden’s former non-binary nuclear waste guru that they had been abused and forced into conversion therapy.
Brinton, 35, previously claimed in a 2018 op-ed for The New York Times that they were taken to the emergency room multiple times after their Baptist missionary parents abused them after they came out at the age of 11.
Her mother Peggy Jo debunked the claims to in 2022, claiming she never sent Samuel for conversion therapy and there is no record of them being hospitalized.
Peggy Jo and her family again deny the abuse allegations as the non-binary former officer is currently on trial after allegedly stealing the suitcase of a woman in Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport in September.
“I never signed him up for conversion therapy and that’s about the only comment I can make on that because he has his own story to tell,” Peggy Jo told the New York Post.
“We didn’t abuse him. If he had been in an ER at any point, there would be a record… and there aren’t any.
Samuel Brinton’s family have denied allegations that the 35-year-old was abused and forced into conversion therapy
The non-binary Brinton, 34, has previously opened up about her difficult relationship with her Southern Baptist parents Peggy Jo and Stephen Brinton, both 57 – and described how they were forced into conversion therapy and took up a gun as a teenager her head was held . The allegations have since been refuted
Samuel raised the abuse allegation in a 2018 New York Times op-ed piece entitled “I Was Tortured in Gay Conversion Therapy and It’s Still Legal in 41 States.” They described the “torture” of Peggy Jo and her husband Stephen Brinton.
“My parents were Southern Baptist missionaries who believed that the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy could “cure” my sexuality,” Samuel wrote.
“For over two years I sat on a couch enduring emotionally painful sessions with a counselor. I was told that my faith community rejected my sexuality; that I was the abomination we had heard about in Sunday school; that I was the only gay person in the world; that it was inevitable that I would get HIV and AIDS.’
Samuel also related how their mother found them standing on the roof and told them she would love him again if only he changed.
‘[That] is not what you should say to someone standing on the edge of a building,” they said. “So I run back into my mom’s arms and I’m like, ‘You know what? I’m changed! It is finished. epiphany of God.”
Samuel’s sister, Rachel Brinton, also told the New York Post that the allegations against her family were “a lie.”
“That claim is unfounded,” Rachel said. “First, the conversion therapy allegations never happened, nor did my parents abuse my brother or me. My parents and I have always known the truth, but we don’t preach to people what the truth is. It’s disheartening because for the past ten years my parents have still been slandered because some people believed what Samuel said.’
Samuel has not identified the name of the therapist or agency they were forced into when they were younger.
The allegations have caused a rift in the relationship between Samuel and her younger brother Daniel, Rachel told the news outlet.
Samuel is currently on trial after allegedly stealing the woman’s suitcase at the Minnesota airport containing goods totaling $2,325.
Brinton, 35, previously claimed they were taken to the emergency room multiple times after their Baptist missionary parents abused them after they came out at the age of 11. Pictured: Sam Brinton
Peggy Jo debunked the claims that she never sent Samuel for conversion therapy and there is no record of them being hospitalized. Pictured: Peggy Jo in front of her home in 2022
Samuel’s parents were in touch with him last year despite refusing to attend her 2019 wedding to husband Kevin Rieck (pictured).
Samuel, the first non-binary person to serve in the role of assistant secretary, was raised in Sanford, Florida and Perry, Iowa.
The local police department, where the Brintons raised their children, also claimed there had been no previous complaints of domestic disputes at the family home, according to the news outlet.
While last year Peggy Jo claimed to that she was proud of Samuel and that their arguments were in the past, she declined to attend her 2019 wedding to husband Kevin Rieck.
The nuclear waste guru left his position in the Biden administration in December after footage showed them stealing the suitcase of a woman from American Airlines baggage claim who was coming into Minnesota from Washington DC.
It’s unclear if Brinton resigned of his own accord, if they were fired – or if they were given an opportunity to step down before they were fired.
The White House has repeatedly declined to comment on the scandal, claiming it is a non-political issue.
In October 2022, Sam Brinton was charged on September 16 in Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport from a baggage carousel
Sam Brinton dodged reporters’ questions as they left courthouse in Minneapolis on Wednesday
When Samuel returned to the nation’s capital two days later, they checked the bag as if it were their own. The nuclear scientist then used the bag on a trip to Europe in October.
Samuel was contacted by investigators and initially lied that they didn’t take the bag. They later admitted to the crime but claimed it was an accident.
They also said they left the woman’s clothes in a hotel room in St. Paul, but they were never found.
In another incident, Samuel is accused of stealing another woman’s luggage from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
They appeared in court on those charges in December and were released on $15,000 bail.
A security film image showed Samuel walking through Harry Reid International Airport with luggage in the summer.
The $320 suitcase, which was lifted from a carousel, was stuffed with more than $3,000 worth of jewelry, clothing and makeup, according to 8 News Now investigators.
It’s unclear why they targeted the suitcase, or if it was from a luxury brand.