Will Manatee official be charged with theft over campaign signs? Here’s the latest.

Commissioner Carol Whitmore could face a misdemeanor charge of petit theft after taking it upon herself to enforce Holmes Beach’s sign ordinance rules against her campaign opponent.

On June 10, the Holmes Beach Police Department filed a police report when Whitmore showed up at the station with three of Jason Bearden’s campaign signs. According to the report, Whitmore said she believed the signs were placed in violation of Holmes Beach’s sign ordinance.

Bearden, a candidate who is also running for the at-large District 6 seat on the Manatee County Commission, is hoping to unseat Whitmore in the Republican primary election on Aug. 23.

Speaking with the Bradenton Herald this week, Holmes Beach Police Chief William Tokajer said the city has an ordinance in place that only allows political yard signs within 45 days of an election.

While Whitmore was right about the rules, it wasn’t her place to remove the signs, he explained.

Whitmore’s actions prompted Tokajer to send a press release urging residents and other candidates to leave the enforcement of the sign ordinance up to authorized city officials.

“If you remove election signs from property, you could be charged with theft,” the statement said. “If you are not a police officer, code officer or the property owner, you are not allowed to move or remove election signs.”

Theft charge sought against Whitmore

On Wednesday, Bearden moved to press charges against Whitmore. In a victim statement filed with the police department, he wrote that the signs were rightfully placed and that Whitmore removed them without permission.

“I’m very upset that she had stolen my signs and I would like to press charges against Carol Whitmore for obtaining and stealing my signs immediately,” Bearden wrote.

Whitmore has not been arrested in connection with the charge. Holmes Beach police say that a capias request, which allows the State Attorney’s Office to review the case information and determine if a charge will be formally filed, has been processed.

It’s unclear when the State Attorney’s Office will make a final decision on the petit theft charge against Whitmore. If Whitmore is found guilty, Florida law says she could face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Reached for comment Thursday afternoon, Bearden said he hopes Whitmore experiences the “maximum penalty” for removing his yard signs.

“The only candidate breaking the law in this race is career commissioner Carol Whitmore,” Bearden wrote in a text message to the Bradenton Herald. “She’s the only candidate with a police report. Carol is the only candidate who can be charged with a crime and the only candidate who could face jail time.”

Whitmore denies wrongdoing

Speaking during a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Whitmore downplayed the charges and accused Bearden of using the charge to distract from other issues, including recent claims of election fraud.

“The minute I picked them up, I drove them right to the police station,” Whitmore said. “Again, I’ve been through many elections and I knew this needed to be handled by Code Enforcement, which was closed on a Saturday night, so I took them to the police department and asked them to return them to the rightful owner.”

“Do you want a county commissioner who’s going to call the cops on you for jaywalking? Jason Bearden would,” she added.

Bearden, who has campaigned alongside some of the write-in candidates in the District 6 race, called Whitmore’s accusations of election fraud “fictitious and manufactured.”

Some of Whitmore’s fellow commissioners used social media to criticize Whitmore’s actions. In a Facebook post, Commissioner Vanessa Baugh called on Whitmore to resign.

“Wow, here we have it! The same one who has said ‘Carol doesn’t lie or break the law,’” Baugh wrote, sharing a link to news coverage of Whitmore’s sign tampering. “What a low thing to do! Carol you need to resign now!”

Commissioner George Kruse, who made headlines Wednesday after being charged with a DUI related to an alleged drunken crash earlier this year, also chimed in on the situation.

“At least now I know where all my signs went in 2020...,” Kruse posted in a tweet Tuesday evening.

Whitmore, who served as the mayor of Holmes Beach between 1998 and 2006, has been a Manatee County commissioner since 2006. She is seeking re-election to her fifth term as a countywide representative.

Whitmore will face Bearden in the Republican primary election on Aug. 23.