GOP group under criminal investigation after auctioning MAGA hats with fake Trump signatures

The Lower Cape Fear Republican Women’s (LCFRW) organization is under review by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) for criminal allegations that involve auctioning off fake presidential signatures on red MAGA hats.

“We are investigating criminal allegations involving the Lower Cape Fear Republican Women’s organization,” SBI spokeswoman Angie Grube confirmed to Wilmington, NC station WECT. “It was a joint request from the Wilmington Police Department and the DA’s office.”

The two hats in question were falsely advertised by the LCFRW as being hand-signed by President Donald J. Trump. "The hats were reportedly auctioned off for $1,600. After the buyer purchased the hats, the signatures were determined to be digitally printed, not hand-signed by the president. They were therefore worth significantly less money," WECT reported Monday.

"District Court Judge Sandra Ray, who served as president of that Republican women’s group from 2017-2018, is implicated in the allegations. She did not respond to our requests for comment, but WECT is told the outside law enforcement agency was called in because of potential conflicts of interest locally," according to the report.

Another subject of the investigation involves "possible irregularities in the group’s financial records," according to WECT's reporting.