COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — Poor quality cell phone video shows a man snatching campaign signs out of the ground.
The man is seen running to his car and throwing signs into the trunk on Sunday.
Mark Lovell said, “He sent me another text saying ‘hey. I’ve got him. We’ve got video.'”
The campaign materials belonged to Mark Lovell, who is running to represent the Collierville area in the House.
“All I want to know– who is breaking the law,” Lovell told WREG.
The footage shows a man, who resembles Rep. Todd, looking around before running up and yanking the signs from the grass.
“I really felt glad because now I have proof and all I really want is I want the public to know who is representing Germantown and Collierville,” Lovell explained.
According to Lovell, the recent incident was not the first time his signs have been stolen.
Someone snapped pictures about one month ago.
Shelby County deputies said Rep. Todd and the photos are under investigation.
Investigators are waiting on the District Attorney’s office to determine if charges will be filed.
WREG called Rep. Todd’s office.
“You have reached Representative Todd’s office. Sorry, we missed your call.,” the voicemail recording said.
WREG sent emails and posted on Todd’s Facebook page before going to his house.
News crews spotted campaign signs in the back seat of a car that was the same make and model car as the one in the video.
WREG did not hear back from Rep. Todd before the story aired at 6:00 p.m.
Whatever the outcome, Lovell hopes the video will prevent something similar from happening again.
“It shouldn’t happen to me, it shouldn’t happen to anybody,” Lovell said.
The state election commission said it does not regulate campaign sign vandalism.
It is it’s job to make sure signs are “placed and kept outside of the 100’ boundary at polling locations during early voting and on election day.”
UPDATE: Rep. Todd called WREG after the story aired and confirmed he is the man in the video. He claims property owners and developers gave him permission to remove his opponent’s signs from their properties. WREG is working to piece together Todd’s side to the story.
