A county Democratic chair in North Carolina resigned after he was arrested and charged with stealing road signs supporting former President Trump.
The Moore County Democratic Party announced Monday that Lowell Simon, 68, of West End, N.C., resigned from his position after the allegations related to 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,” the party said in a post on Facebook.
Moore County authorities arrested a man Friday who was removing political signs on Oct. 10.
The sheriff’s office said a deputy recognized the man as Simon and followed up at his residence later to find the political signs in his vehicle. He admitted to removing the signs, and they were returned to their original owner. An arrest warrant was issued, and he was charged with two misdemeanor counts of larceny of political signs, according to officials. He was released under a written promise to appear in court.
His court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30 in Moore County District Court, the sheriff’s office said.
Simon said he “shouldn’t have done that” and said his worst “angels” got the better of him, WRAL News reported. The signs for Trump were blocking his own signs, he said.
He added that he’d warned people for years not to mess with political signs they don’t agree with, but he became angry.
“If people are going to break the law, myself included, there should be consequences,” he 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.”
The party said Simon offered an apology for his actions and his resignation.
“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.”