The Boone County Republican Party is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to the arrest or arrests of whoever spray painted and vandalized multiple signs at the Boone County GOP headquarters in Columbia.
CPD spokesman Brian McNeill tells 939 the Eagle that Columbia Police are investigating the vandalism, and confirms the investigation is ongoing. He says the vandalism was reported to police at about 9 am on Thursday.
Missouri GOP attorney general Andrew Bailey, who has condemned the vandalism, has posted photos which show signs for former President Donald Trump spray painted with swastikas. Our news partner KMIZ’s Mitch Kaminski reports eight signs were destroyed, with some of them spray painted with homophobic slurs.
State Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch (R-Hallsville) says there is video footage from two cameras of a possible vehicle that was involved. Toalson Reisch tells KMIZ that CPD is also investigating several signs for U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) that have been stolen and thrown into dumpsters.
The chair of the Boone County Democratic Party, Deborah Finley, says Boone County Democrats do not condone the vandalism. Ms. Finley tells ABC-17’s Kaminski that Boone County Democrats have also dealt with property damage during the campaign. Finley says 75 to 100 Democratic signs have been stolen during the campaign, including signs for U-S Senate nominee Lucas Kunce and gubernatorial nominee Crystal Quade. Ms. Finley says people come in every day to Boone County Democratic headquarters to replace signs.
As for GOP attorney general Bailey, he posted on Twitter that Thursday’s incident at the Boone County GOP headquarters “is nothing short of disheartening and a disgraceful act perpetuated by radicalism.” General Bailey thanks CPD for its quick response and says acts like this “will not intimidate or deter us from standing up for our values and supporting the free exchange of ideas in our democracy.”
