Moore County Democrat Party chairman Lowell Simon, who is also running for the North Carolina state House, has been arrested after stealing multiple Trump signs last week.
Lowell Simon, 68, has been arrested and charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs after admitting to police that he removed signs supporting former President Donald Trump and hid them in his car. The local chairman was caught by a deputy who saw him taking the signs on Thursday, according to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.
“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 explained in a statement. “Simon admitted to removing the signs, which were then recovered and returned to their original owner.”
Simon has since resigned from his position as chairman, according to a Monday announcement from the Moore County Democrat Party.
“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 local party wrote in a post on Facebook. “Mr. Simon has offered an apology for his actions, as well as his resignation, both of which have been accepted by the MCDP.”
Meanwhile, Simon has complained that the Trump signs he stole were supposedly obstructing signs he had placed along the same road in support of Democrat gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein — claiming that he has been frustrated about this for months.
“I’ve been telling people for years don’t touch opposition signs, but I was [mad],” he said, according to local media outlet WRAL News.
“If people are going to break the law, myself included, there should be consequences,” Simon admitted. “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,” Simon added. “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 first court appearance has been scheduled for October 30.
This news comes as the presidential race in North Carolina heats up, with polls showing a tight race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris — though many polls have Trump leading in the key swing state by a small margin.
Swing states poll: @realDonaldTrump (R) internal by Fabrizio/McLaughlin
Georgia – 🔴 Trump 50-45%
Arizona – 🔴 Trump 49-46%
Nevada – 🔴 Trump 50-47%
Pennsylvania – 🔴 Trump 49-48%
Wisconsin – 🔴 Trump 49-48%
Michigan – 🔴 Trump 49-48%
North Carolina – 🔴 Trump 48-47%October… pic.twitter.com/4uhTIT5RzL
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) October 10, 2024
