Texas Republican won't contest charges he fraudulently removed opponent's yard signs
Frederick Frazier, a Trump-endorsed Republican state lawmaker in Texas who also serves as a Dallas Police officer, will not contest charges that he illegally impersonated a public official to have his opponent's yard signs removed, reported the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Wednesday.
Frazier, who will also plead guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief and represents the city of McKinney, was charged over a 2022 incident in which he allegedly impersonated a town official and told a Walmart store manager to remove campaign signs for his opponent, Paul Chabot, because they were allegedly not in compliance. Chabot filed a complaint with Texas Rangers, who investigated the incident.
"Frazier, after being on administrative leave with Dallas police during the investigation, is expected to be dishonorably discharged," said the report, which gives him a lifetime ban from working as a police officer in Texas. "The state representative has been given one year of probation for each charge of impersonating a public official, along with a $4,000 fine for each [sign]. On the misdemeanor criminal mischief, the 'Texas Tribune' reported Frazier was assessed a $500 fine."
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An attorney representing Frazier says that he maintains he never actually claimed to be a town compliance officer, and was simply pointing out as a concerned citizen that the way the signs were put up didn't meet the code.
The theft or destruction of yard signs is a crime that tends to flare up during campaign season.
In 2020, a Florida man stole a bulldozer and used it to mow down Joe Biden yard signs in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Haines City. And in October, a Smithfield, Virginia city councilwoman Renee Rountree was charged with stealing her write-in opponent's yard signs.