Dennis Bradley, a former Hillsboro mayor who is running for the office again on April 2, has been accused of stealing one of opponent Buddy Russell’s campaign signs.
A third candidate in the Hillsboro mayoral race, Marcy Wokurka, has not been mentioned in the controversy.
Steve Meinberg, the Hillsboro Police administrator, said the department investigated the report about Bradley allegedly taking the sign and turned over its findings to the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Meinberg said it’s up to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office whether to file charges against Bradley for the alleged theft.
Prosecuting Attorney Trisha Stefanski said Wednesday (March 27) that no decision had yet been made about whether charges would be filed.
Bradley admitted to taking the sign, but said the incident is being blown out of proportion.
He said he took the sign because it had been placed in a way to “block out” his campaign sign.
“I had one of the candidates who kept putting his sign in front of mine,” Bradley said. “I picked the sign up and threw it in my truck.”
Russell said his sign never obscured Bradley’s.
“His sign is 4-foot-by-5-foot and mine’s a little yard sign, and it was not blocking his (the way it was placed),” Russell said. “I’m disgusted at his behavior. That’s stealing.”
Meinberg said Russell filed a complaint on March 22 about his sign missing from in front of Hillsboro Health Mart, 10666 Business 21.
The subsequent investigation led to surveillance footage from the pharmacy that reportedly showed Bradley taking Russell’s sign, Meinberg said.
“The business has a camera (facing toward the area with campaigns signs). We went inside and looked at the video and it clearly showed candidate Dennis Bradley taking Mr. Russell’s sign, putting it in his vehicle and leaving," Meinberg said. “It was the same day (Russell) had put up the sign.
“We found Mr. Bradley at another business, saw his truck and confronted him. He stated he took out the sign because he thought it blocked his sign.”
Meinberg said Bradley was not arrested.
Bradley said he believes he acted reasonably and intended to return the sign to Russell, along with an admonition that he did not appreciate Russell or his people placing signs so they blocked his.
After Hillsboro officers located Bradley, he reportedly told them his version of the incident.
“I was very cooperative,” Bradley said. “(The officers) said they would return the sign. I told them to tell the candidate to quit putting signs in front of mine, that it’s very rude to block another person’s sign.”
Bradley said some of his campaign signs have been stolen.
“I’ve got over 20 signs missing,” he said.
Russell said he is missing at least 10 campaign signs.
Wokurka said she did not care to comment about the situation, but said she also has campaign signs missing.
“There have been some of my signs missing around town,” she said. “I don’t know what happened to them.”
Bradley, 66, was the Hillsboro mayor from April 2017 until Feb. 26, 2018, when he resigned shortly before the start of what was to be his impeachment hearing.
Two weeks earlier, the Hillsboro Board of Alderpersons voted to hold the hearing and pursue Bradley’s impeachment in part because he was arrested Feb. 5, 2018, for allegedly harassing and assaulting a Jefferson County deputy.
Jefferson County Municipal Court charges for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest are still pending against Bradley in connection with that case.