FLINT, MI (WNEM) -
Primary day is just days away, and some candidates in the Genesee County sheriff's race are calling foul because they are claiming somebody's messing with their campaign signs.
Dan Allen and Tim Johnson are both on the Democratic ticket to win the Democratic nomination for November's Genesee County sheriff election. They're up against incumbent Sheriff Robert Pickell. They say there have been some questionable things happen to some of their campaign signs.
Allen said some of his signs have been covered with Pickell signs. The sign fits perfectly over Allen's sign, and TV5 saw evidence of the foul play.
"It's just a process, and when something like this goes on, it just changes the mood of everybody, just changes the mood of everybody," said Allen.
Johnson claims some of his signs have went missing entirely.
"In the beginning, like I said, we laughed about it, but when we had to reorder signs and we had to spend another $1,500 on signage, it wasn't funny anymore, because now it's beginning to hurt," said Johnson.
Neither of the men would point fingers, but Paul Margaris, owner of Paul's Coney Island in Flint, said he caught two men trying to steal a Johnson sign from the front of his business. He says that person told him they were paid to take the campaign sign down.
"Me and my cook, we chased them, we got the signs, and I asked why they were doing that, that's private property, you ain't got no business on private property, they said, 'My boss paid me enough to do this,'" said Margaris.
We talked to Burton police Wednesday night. A detective told us the incident at Paul's Coney Island is being investigated, but said there are not any other open investigations dealing with stealing signs. Both Johnson and Allen says they are not pointing fingers and all they want is a fair fight.
Pickell categorically denied any involvement.
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