Rick Neale

FLORIDA TODAY

MELBOURNE — Florida State Rep. Thad Altman's campaign manager has been charged with petty theft for taking two campaign signs during an Aug. 23 tussle with the father of one of Altman's opponents outside the Wickham Park Community Center.

But the campaign manager, Tim Pishdad, contends the red-lettered "Don't Be Had By Thad" signs that he took were illegal because they lacked political disclaimers stating who owned them. He said he dropped the signs off at the Brevard Supervisor of Elections office, and he later filed an elections fraud complaint with the Florida Department of State.

Both signs were valued at $5 each. Wednesday afternoon, Pishdad, 60, of Viera pleaded not guilty before Brevard County Judge Kelly Ingram at the Melbourne Courthouse.

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"It's petty. It goes beyond petty. I think it's just political showmanship," Pishdad said after his arraignment, standing on the sidewalk outside the courthouse.

The alleged sign thefts occurred a week before the August primary election. Benjamin Hodgers, 73, was campaigning outside the community center that afternoon in support of his son, Brian, who was running against Altman in the Florida House District 52 race in the Republican primary.

Benjamin Hodgers told police that Pishdad removed the signs from the front of the community center. Hodgers confronted Pishdad, told him not to remove the signs, and grabbed a leg of one of the signs Pishdad was holding to try to prevent him from taking it, according to a police narrative.

Pishdad proceeded to his Jeep Wrangler while Hodgers hung onto the sign. That's when Pishdad pulled and twisted the sign, breaking it free of Hodgers' grasp, the report states.

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Pishdad placed the signs in his back seat and drove off. Hodgers told police that Pishdad never touched him, nor did he believe Pishdad intended to cause him harm — he was merely rude. Hodgers' wife, Geraldine, witnessed the event, and her verbal statement to police corroborated her husband's.

Altman defeated Brian Hodgers and two other opponents, Monique Miller and Robert "Fritz" VanVolkenburgh, in the Republican primary. He then ran unopposed in the November general election. Altman previously served in the House from 2003-08, then won election to the Florida Senate from 2008-16.

“Our campaign is always harping on one thing: We don’t touch other people’s signs. In this case, I didn’t even know that this had happened," Altman said. "I think it was an innocent effort to find out who owned the signs, and find out whether they were legal.

"They were taken to the public elections office. I don’t think there was any intent whatsoever to take a sign. There was no malice whatsoever involved. It was simply trying to find out what was proper and what was legal. Hopefully, it’ll get resolved. Campaigns get quite emotional on both sides," Altman said.

The "Don't Be Had By Thad" signs were owned by Richard Charbonneau, who was eliminated in the August primary in the Brevard School Board District 3 race.

Benjamin Hodgers likened the sign squabble to a high school recess incident.

"I asked if they were his signs, and he said no. He said they were illegal campaign signs, and I said they were freedom of speech signs. There was a bit of a tussle. I’m 73 years old with a heart condition — and I said there isn’t any way that it’s worth it to do this over a few campaign signs," Hodgers said.

In early October, the Florida Department of State determined that Pishdad's elections fraud complaint was insufficient, and no further action would occur on the matter.

Pishdad said the department "really missed the boat on this one." During the campaign, he took a photo of a "Don't Be Had By Thad" sign that somebody mounted directly atop an Altman campaign sign at a Sarno Road polling place in Melbourne.

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"If they allow this type of sign to take place, or they say they endorse that, then these type of signs will pop up everywhere for every candidate. And then no (rival) candidate has to take ownership of it," Pishdad said.

Wearing a blue-and-white collared shirt and khaki shorts, Pishdad pleaded not guilty during Wednesday's arraignment, which lasted about 90 seconds. Ingram scheduled Pishdad's next court date for 9 a.m. Jan. 17.

Charbonneau and Pishdad both said they are friendly to each other, and Pishdad said did not know that Charbonneau owned the signs. Pishdad said he wrote Charbonneau an apology, but he did not admit guilt.

Pishdad said he thought Charbonneau was going to drop the charge after he apologized, and he was surprised the matter made it to criminal court. Contacted by FLORIDA TODAY after Wednesday's arraignment, Charbonneau said he may ask prosecutors to reduce or drop the theft charge if Pishdad makes a donation to a veterans organization.

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638, rneale@floridatoday.com or follow @RickNeale1 on Twitter