A Tennessee state lawmaker was caught on camera stealing his opponent’s campaign signs, and he’s been charged with theft this week, just days before his Thursday primary election.
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Lovell’s campaign released the video, which showed Todd in street clothes looking around to see if anyone was watching before pulling the red, white and blue “Mark Lovell: State Representative” signs out of the ground.
“It’s like my Daddy always said: ‘Don’t make me come get ya.’ And Curry Todd forced us to come get him”, Farrell said. Todd was arrested Tuesday, when he repeatedly failed to show up for questioning. “And they told me if [Lovell] puts them up, you can take them down or have someone else take them down”. Todd, the incumbent in Thursday’s Republican primary for the district seat, faces three challengers – Diane George, Mark Lovell and Dana Matheny.
Lovell said if Todd’s arrest was politically motivated, he had nothing to do with it.
“It’s like lending money to your nephews”, said Lovell. “I figured it was a good deed”.
Attempts to reach the property owner for confirmation were unsuccessful.
Todd, a conservative Republican first elected to Tennessee’s legislature in 1998, was taken into custody at his home in Collierville, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Earle Farrell said.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office arrested him on charges of theft under $500 on Tuesday..
“Yes, I did pick up the signs the other day, and I took ’em”, Todd told The Commercial Appeal.
According to Farrell, Todd said he was going to be out of town last week, then said he would come in Friday. Todd was speaking with investigators Tuesday, and local prosecutors will decide the final charges against him, Farrell said.
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Todd is scheduled back in court August 22nd.
