A few weeks ago, we profiled the race for Greenwich, CT’s First Selectman between Republican State Representative Fred Camillo v. Democrat Board of Taxation member Jill Oberlander as a race to watch. We predicted that the race would be close and contentious and it certainly seems to be playing out that way as the campaign rhetoric has been ratcheted up following an attempted political trick played on Camillo.
Over the weekend, someone placed a sign that read “Vote Republican – Vote team Camillo/Trump” and “Make Greenwich Great Again” before referencing FredCamillo.com. Voters going to the website are then re-directed to a Citizens for Trump web site. The only problem was that the Camillo campaign had not printed or distributed the signs, nor had they registered the website. The Camillo campaign quickly condemned the signs as a blatant attempt to bring national issues into the local campaign in a dirty trick to undermine him. Democrats, including Oberlander, and the local group Indivisible Greenwich (a Trump resistance organization controlled by prominent Democrats including the spouse of the Selectman candidate) replied that while they had not been involved in putting up the signs, it was troubling that Camillo had not repudiated Trump. Signgate, as the local press has termed the controversy, quickly became the lead topic on the campaign.
Today, the Signgate mystery was partially resolved. Greenwich police captain Mark Koldrick, a registered Democrat whose twitter page is filled with anti-Trump tweets, admitted to having the signs printed and placed around town. In an interview with the Greenwich Free Press, Koldrick admitted that his motivation was to highlight what he called Camillo’s “hypocrisy” for supporting Trump while claiming to unite the community. Koldrick also denied coordinating with any of the Democratic candidates. Still unknown is who else may have assisted Koldrick order, distribute or place the signs and what there connection may be with the Democratic Party or its candidate, Jill Oberlander, if any.
We don’t think Signgate will have a decisive impact in the election, but it certainly has diverted attention away from the candidate’s positions and highlighted the increasingly divisive nature of modern politics. When you step away, you realize that this was a clear attempt by an individual registered Democrat to drive down Fred Camillo’s image and swing the election. Signgate also highlights that political trickery is alive and well, whether on the national level with the Russian Investigation or at the local election for Greenwich First Selectman with Signgate. If we had to guess, however, this act of political trickery may actually boomerang on Koldrick and Democrats, as Greenwich voters are likely to rally around Camillo and defend him from the underhanded and devious tactics.
NewEnglandPolitics.com 