Last Updated on June 13, 2018, 8:01 AM | Published: June 12, 2018
Free Press witnessed a man pulling up Brad Reeves for Oklahoma County Commissioner campaign signs near N. Classen Boulevard and NW 7th Street Tuesday.*
Was he with the Reeves campaign?
It seemed not, considering his behavior and statements just minutes before we caught him on camera removing the signs.
He and a woman pulled up next to this reporter’s car on NW 7th Street just after we completed taking photos of some buildings nearby for another story.
He angrily asked twice, “Did you just put those signs out there?”
When we answered no, he drove away before we could engage in a conversation.
They drove around and up the alley, then stopped.
He walked over, picked up all of the Brad Reeves signs that were in the same general area as two other candidates’ signs, put them in the back of his car and left.
He left behind signs belonging to the Natalie Mai for District Judge and Mike Hunter for Oklahoma Attorney General campaigns.
*UPDATED – Wed, 6-13-18, 0730: We were able to make contact with Brad Reeves via Facebook Messenger about this and here is his response, unedited:
This is one of those cases that some of the campaign volunteers misunderstood where we had approval to put the signs. We mistakenly put signs on this gentleman’s property.
This gentleman was so respectful, yes he pulled the signs, however he took the time to contact me and return the signs instead of discarding. I will not give the gentleman’s name but I would like to thank him for being so kind and respectful.
Editor’s note: Upon looking closer at our last shots we noticed that the passenger in this car saw us taking photos. We would like to think that learning he was on camera, he decided to behave in a more positive fashion when he contacted Brad Reeves.
Legal activity
Removing campaign signs is legal behavior according to State of Oklahoma and City of Oklahoma City sources.
Ashley Kemp, Director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, told Free Press that removing campaign signs is not illegal in Oklahoma under their rules.
She cautioned that someone could be charged for trespassing on private property in the process of removing the signs, but not for removing the signs.
Kemp said that the Ethics Commission is the only state entity that controls campaigns.
But, the only way the commission controls campaigns is by carefully monitoring how campaigns raise and spend money. The activity we described was not something they are empowered to control.
City of Oklahoma City Public Information Officer Kristy Yager gave a simple “no” to our asking if it was against any city ordinance to remove campaign signs.
Do you know this man? We would like to interview him.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
