Facing criminal charges for stealing political signs he didn’t like, Stratham Democrat Committee Chair Jonathan Caldwell claims Democrats have special rights over political sign real estate.
But that did stop police from arresting and charging Caldwell, 72, and Stratham Democrat Committee Secretary Heidi Hanson, 53, with Class B misdemeanor counts of receiving stolen property. The charges were brought after Caldwell was caught on video stealing a political sign from state-owned public land in Stratham, and Hanson got caught with another sign that had an electronic tracker attached.
“Since 2018, our town committee has been granted explicit permission by the Stratham Circle property owners to place signs of Democratic candidates during election season,” Caldwell said in a statement issued by the Stratham Democratic Committee.
But the lot in question is the state-owned section of the Stratham traffic circle where political signs are allowed. Caldwell got caught in November removing a sign Republican Peter Lessels had put up in the circle.
“This is what should be,” Lessels told Seacoastonline. “If you’re going to be involved in politics, play by the rules. And I believe that for both sides. If Republicans take signs, the same thing should happen.”
Lessels first placed a sign on the traffic circle close to signs for Democratic candidates. Lessels’ sign alerted people to the fact that all of the candidates “Supports men in women’s sports.”
“They do support that. That’s just a fact,” Lessels told NHJournal in November.
After that sign was stolen, Lessels placed another and spotted Caldwell taking it a few hours after it was placed. Lessels confronted Caldwell about taking the sign. In an interaction caught on video, Caldwell said the owners of a nearby antiques store wanted the sign removed.
In his “official statement” following the arrest, Caldwell again claimed the property abutters had asked him to remove the offending sign.
After telling Caldwell he was breaking the law, Lessels followed Caldwell’s car and called police. Caldwell was soon pulled over and the sign found in the trunk of his car.
A third sign Lessels put up was also stolen, but this time he had placed a tracker on this sign. Lessels contacted police, again, who reportedly quickly found the stolen sign at Hanson’s home, with the tracker still attached.
Both Caldwell and Hanson are due to be formally arraigned in March. If convicted, they do not face any jail time for the misdemeanors. The maximum possible penalty is a $1,200 fine.
