Campaign office break-in investigated

PHILADELPHIA, March 25 (UPI) -- Authorities are investigating a break-in at a Philadelphia art gallery where a state House candidate recently established his office, the campaign said.

The Philadelphia Daily News reported that a campaign aide to Democrat Christian DiCicco on Monday opened the building to find eight paintings and a leather couch slashed and the telephone wires cut.

The newspaper reported that campaign documents were missing, including recent poll results.

DiCicco is challenging state Rep. Bill Keller in the Democratic primary.

Jim Gallo, owner of the Arts of the Avenue gallery, said he'd received several recent telephone calls from Keller supporters concerned that he'd let DiCicco set up shop there.

"They said I should choose carefully between the candidates in this race," Gallo said. "The exact words were, 'You don't want to wind up on the wrong side.'"

Keller's campaign spokesperson denied that they were involved, noting that Keller had commissioned his own polling.