Kris Allfrey is running for (deep breath) Fort Bend County Independent School District (FBISD) Trustee Position 5 (exhales). As part of his campaign, Mr. Allfrey put up signs in Meadows Place, Texas, but then noticed something that dismayed him: his signs were going missing. He put down new signs and installed a camera in a tree, pointed in the spot where some of his signs had gone missing. The camera would wind up catching the culprit in the act, and as KHOU 11 News reports, the footage shocked Mr. Allfrey.

That culprit was FBISD Trustee Bruce Albright. An interesting wrinkle in all of this is that Mr. Albright, who is currently running for re-election, is not Mr. Allfrey’s opponent. KPRC Local 2 News reports that Mr. Albright, in a Facebook post, wrote, “I have never stolen anyone's campaign signs. I did remove one of Kris Allfrey's signs from the private property of Helfman Ford (a car dealership), which I am an agent for the owner.”

Mr. Allfrey is not having any of that. He told KHOU, “He made a mistake and now he’s trying to create a story that’s not really a story. I got permission to have the sign there.” And he did have permission. He presented a letter from Helfman Ford to both stations that explicitly gave him permission to put his signs on their property.

KPRC says that they have confirmed that the Meadows Place Police Department is investigating the matter and that Albright is a possible suspect. The station also notes that, “The person stealing the campaign signs faces a misdemeanor theft charge, which could mean a fine of up to $2,000 and jail time.” Both KPRC and KHOU tried speaking with Bruce Albright, but he refused to comment.

More info: KHOU, KPRC