Republican caught on tape stealing opponent's campaign signs David Edwards and Nick Juliano

Published: Wednesday October 29, 2008





Print This Email This It's not unusual for political miscreants to steal campaign signs from neighbors' yards when election time comes around, but rarely is it done by the candidate himself.



That didn't stop a Republican county commissioner in Kansas. Unfortunately for the candidate, who decided to take the mischief-making into his own hands, he was caught on tape in the process.



The Kansas City Star reported: "Olathe police cited Johnson County Commissioner John M. Toplikar of Olathe on a charge of misdemeanor theft over the weekend after he allegedly stole two campaign signs belonging to his opponent, Calvin Hayden of De Soto.



"Hayden's wife, Kelly, and a campaign volunteer videotaped the thefts Saturday afternoon across the street from the Johnson County Election Office. She notified police, who found the signs in Toplikar's van.



"Hayden, who retired this year after a 27-year career with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, has filed four police reports for stolen and damaged signs. He is pressing charges against Toplikar, who has been on the County Commission since 2003." While the position is non-partisan, John M. Toplikar was listed as Republican in 2006 on Johnson County's website. KansasCity.com also identified Toplikar as a Republican.



YouTube hosts dozens of videos documenting the theft or vandalism of campaign signs.



In most instances it is signs advertising presidential candidates that are targeted, and supporters sometimes retaliate against the vandals.



In Ohio, a man became so frustrated at teens who knocked over a John McCain sign in his front yard that he fired a rifle at the teens' car, wounding one of them.



This video is from ABCNews.com, broadcast Oct. 28, 2008.









Download video via RawReplay.com







