The chair of the Moore County Democratic Party in North Carolina has resigned after being arrested for removing 2024 campaign signs supporting Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump.
“The deputy, who was responding to an unrelated call at the time, later followed up at Simon’s residence, where the signs were found in his vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said. “Simon admitted to removing the signs, which were then recovered and returned to their original owner.”
A warrant for Simon’s arrest was issued for two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs. He was later released under a written promise to appear in Moore County District Court on Oct. 30.
Removal or theft of campaign signs violates North Carolina law protecting the lawful placement of political signs during an election cycle. Violating this law is a Class 3 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, $500 in fines, and up to a year of probation.
“While we appreciate the hard work and dedication he has shown to the Democratic Party and the community, the Moore County Democratic Party cannot and will not condone the tampering of political signs or any other illegal activity,” the party said in a statement. “We believe in the importance of freedom of expression and speech, and hope that local law enforcement will continue to enforce such laws that protect those freedoms fairly and without bias across party lines.”
Simon, also a candidate for the state House of Representatives, told local radio station WRL that he removed the signs because they were placed in front of his own, obscuring them to passersby. He said the ongoing issue caused him to act out in a moment of weakness.
“My worse angels got the better of me and I removed the signs,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t do it in the stealth of night or anything. I did it when it was 5 o'clock in the afternoon.”
