ln an utterly unsurprising tale from North Carolina in the weeks before the November 2024 election, a Democratic official, a county party chair, resigned in disgrace after getting caught by the local sheriff’s office in the act of stealing Trump 2024 campaign signs out of lawns.
For reference, the former Moore County Democratic Party chair is named Lowell Simon. He was, at the time of his arrest and the sign stealing scandal, running for the North Carolina House as a Democratic candidate, but resigned from it all after being charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs.
The Moore County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest in mid-October in a post titled “Arrest Made Following Campaign Sign Thefts. ” According to the entertaining post, a deputy responding to a different call had observed Simon removing campaign signs, and he was arrested the next day after a warrant had been issued for his arrest in connection with the stolen signs.
Beginning, the sheriff’s office described how Simon was caught by local law enforcement. It said, “On October 10, 2024, at approximately 5:25 PM, a sheriff’s deputy working in the West End area observed Lowell Simon removing campaign signs from the roadside along Seven Lakes Drive. 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. Simon admitted to removing the signs, which were then recovered and returned to their original owner.”
Continuing, it noted that he faced two criminal charges in connection with the theft, saying, “This morning, a warrant for Simon’s arrest was issued in connection with the stolen signs. Lowell Evan Simon, age 68, of West End, North Carolina, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs and was released under a written promise to appear in court. Simon’s first court appearance is scheduled for October 30, 2024 in Moore County District Court.”
Concluding, the sheriff’s office announcement described which law he had violated in stealing the signs, saying, “Sheriff Ronnie Fields reminds the public that the removal or theft of campaign signs is a violation of North Carolina General Statute § 136-32(e), which protects the lawful placement of these signs during election periods.”
A few days later, on October 14, the Moore County Democratic Party announced in another Facebook post that Mr. Simon had resigned in the wake of the scandal. It began by saying, “The Moore County Democratic Party announces that Lowell Simon has resigned from his position as Chair following recent allegations and arrest related to the theft of political signs. 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.”
Continuing, the party added that Simon apologized and resigned, saying, “Mr. Simon has offered an apology for his actions, as well as his resignation, both of which have been accepted by the MCDP. 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.”
Concluding the post, the party vowed to keep fighting for “fairness,” saying, “As we move forward, our focus will remain on electing Democrats up and down the ballot in this critical election. Together, we are committed to promoting the values of justice, fairness, and freedom that our Party holds dear, and we look forward to building a better future for all in Moore County.”