Deputies: Man cut down election sign with chainsaw
A man captured on video in Lake County using a chainsaw to cut down a campaign sign for Jason Paynter, who is running for clerk of courts, told deputies he did so because the sign was on his property, a sheriff ’s spokesman said.
The man was seen on video cutting down the sign on Wednesday along State Road 19 in Tavares, deputies said.
As of Friday afternoon deputies were trying to determine whether the property the sign was on indeed belonged to the man, Lt. John Herrell said.
“We are working to sort it all out,” Herrell said.
Paynter, a retired Tavares police lieutenant, is running against clerk Gary Cooney, who was the No. 2 person in the office under Neil Kelly before he retired. Gov. Rick Scott appointed Cooney to the office until Nov. 13 and set a special election.
Paynter said he checked county and GIS records to see who the land belonged to, and said it was not the man who cut the sign down. Paynter got permission from the rightful owner, he said.
“The first time it got cut down I just chalked it up to running for political office. The second time it got cut down I said, OK, somebody either doesn’t like my name or doesn’t like my sign,” Paynter said.
Paynter noticed the sign wasn’t just knocked down but cut with what he thought might be a Sawzall, he said. Both times it was left on the ground where he had put it up, he said. So he set up a game camera to try and catch the sign-cutter in the act.
“I don’t know this guy, by the way,” Paynter said. “I’ve never seen him before, I’ve never spoken to him.”
Cooney on Friday morning said he did not know the man and called his actions “condemnable.”
“I don’t understand why a person would do this to a person who is out there campaigning. It makes no sense to me,” Cooney said.
Paynter said he never suspected his Cooney was behind it.
“My opponent is a very respectable, honorable man, and I never once believed that,” Paynter said. “...And don’t forget to vote.”
Both candidates are Republicans. The election is Tuesday.