Ohio Sheriff Asks Residents to Document Homes With Harris Campaign Signs

Voters in Portage County, Ohio, are afraid to put up political signs in their yards after the county sheriff posted a Facebook message that many are calling intimidating and racist.

“When people ask me… What happens if the creepy laughing hyena wins?? I say… write down all the addresses of the people who put her yard signs up! Then… when the illegal humans “Locust” (who she supports!) need places to live… We’ll already have the addresses of their new families… who supported their arrival!” wrote Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski.

Residents of the northeastern Ohio county, an area that swung from supporting former President Barack Obama to former President Donald Trump, say the post has put them on edge.

“Why would I want to put something in my yard to be targeted?” David Lendvay said.

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Sheila Longmire called this language terrifying.

“He says on Facebook that he wants to know the addresses of everyone who supports her,” Longmire said. “It’s crazy.”

In another Facebook post Tuesday, Zuchowski said his message “may have been misinterpreted somewhat.” But he reiterated his position, saying, “I believe that those who vote for people with liberal policies need to take responsibility for their actions.”

Scripps News Cleveland reached out to Zuchowski and the sheriff’s office but has not heard back.

Meanwhile, Portage County Republican Party Chairwoman Amanda Suffecool defended Zuchowski’s initial message.

“If it was just boring, no one would be talking about it, so it brings it to the forefront,” Suffecool said. “Is illegal immigration illegal? And do people in the county, in the state, care? And they do.”

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But not all Republicans agree with that rhetoric. Tony Badalamenti, a Republican county commissioner, called Zuchowski’s comments “disturbing” but said there was nothing they could do to hold him accountable.

“We have no authority,” Badalamenti said. “No commissioner has authority over any other elected official.”

Badalamenti has now announced that he is resigning from his position on the GOP Central Committee, a position where he worked with Zuchowski.

“When someone says something that was just said on Facebook, and everyone is proud to see it, it’s very disturbing,” he said. “That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back: I decided to leave.”

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This story was originally published by Morgan Trau on Scripps Cleveland News.