Politics

Palin-endorsed candidate Katrina Pierson was arrested for shoplifting in ’97

Matt K. Lewis Senior Contributor
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Sarah Palin has made an endorsement in Texas. She’s backing tea party leader Katrina Pierson over Rep. Pete Sessions. In a Facebook post, Palin notes that Pierson’s “life’s story is full of hardships she has fought to overcome, which taught her firsthand the importance of self-reliance, hard work, and the blessings of liberty.”

One of those hardships includes a 1997 arrest for shoplifting.

As the Dallas Morning News reported on Valentine’s Day, “In 1997, five days before her 21st birthday, Katrina Pierson, then named Katrina Lanette Shaddix, was arrested on a charge of theft of greater than $50 and less than $500.”

Pierson, it appears, broke the story herself — a wise move, which allowed her to frame it as part of her “hardscrabble background.” So this may not be a big deal. On the other hand, one can imagine her mugshot will be making an appearance on Texas TV sets and voter mail pieces in the near future….