FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: September 14, 2020
Maine GOP Cracking Down on Lawn Sign Theft & Destruction
Initial report by party to local authorities leads to
summons of lawn sign thief
AUGUSTA – The Maine GOP is putting lawn sign thieves on notice. Last week, the Maine GOP provided evidence to a police department in northern Maine that shows the theft and destruction of lawn signs by at least one college student. The evidence provided resulted in a summons for theft of multiple lawn signs (which were also defaced) later that same day.
After the rampant increase in the theft of signs across Maine, the Party says it is providing evidence to local and county police departments of the thefts. Stealing or defacing a single lawn sign carries a fine of up to $250 in Maine.
"I want to be clear, our tolerance for this rampant theft of lawn signs is now zero. We will turn over evidence of theft to authorities in every instance it is provided to us," said Maine GOP Executive Director Jason Savage.
"The rule of law matters. Property matters and most importantly, the First Amendment matters," said Mr. Savage.
"This is about protecting the free speech of Maine people. If you steal a lawn sign and we get photos or evidence, you will be answering to authorities."
The Maine GOP will not be publicly releasing the name of the lawn sign thief charged last week in the hope that the offender will learn a lesson and refrain from such activities in the future. Any additional charges brought will result in the Maine GOP publicly releasing the names of those known to have stolen or damaged lawn signs or other property.
If you have evidence of a lawn sign theft that can identify the perpetrator, please email the evidence, with a detailed description and any videos or photos, to [email protected]
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