Before the election last year, a county-level Democratic chair was arrested for taking down road signs supporting then candidate Donald Trump. The Moore County Democratic Party announced that 68-year-old Lowell Simon resigned from his position and was arrested over the alleged theft. He was charged with a class 3 misdemeanor for his actions.
“If people are going to break the law, myself included, there should be consequences,” Simon said. “But, the law should be applied equally. I understand that sometimes you catch the criminal and sometimes you don’t, but it has to be applied equally.” ”My worse angels got the better of me and I removed the signs,” he added at the time
“I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t do it in the stealth of night or anything. I did it when it was five o’clock in the afternoon,” his apology concluded. The Moore County Democratic Party offered an apology as well. “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,” the party said.
“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,” they added. “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,” the county party wrote.
Somewhat ironically, a year before his arrest, Simon took to Facebook to complain about others stealing political signs. In a now deleted post, he said, “CHEATING: A REPUBLICAN WAY OF LIFE. Moore County Republicans don’t feel they can win fair & square so they have to resort to cheating.” He then posted pictures of a man allegedly removing the democratic campaign signs.
“Do you know this Republican LACKEY? I caught him on 211 (between the circle and 7 Lakes) taking down Democrat signs and replacing them with Budd/Hudson/McInnis signs. You can see his other tactic (likely when people were watching) of putting R signs literally on top of D signs,” he posted. This man is violating the law. Here are some pictures of him and his license plate. If you know him please DM me.”
According to their website, the Moore County Democrats are devoted to turning their county blue. “Join the Moore County Democrats in the fight for our freedoms and a better life for the people of Moore County, North Carolina!” their website reads. Now, more than ever, the Moore County Democrats are on a mission to flip Moore County, NC. We will fight for our democracy. ”
According to North Carolina law, vandalizing campaign signs is illegal. “Penalties for Unlawful Removal of Signs. – It is a Class 3 misdemeanor for a person to steal, deface, vandalize, or unlawfully remove a political sign that is lawfully placed under this section,” reads the relevant section of the law. Despite the best efforts of the Democrats, Donald Trump handily carried North Carolina in the 2024 election.