As the local campaign season heats up, so are accusations of sign shenanigans.

Nick Richardson, candidate for Fresno City Council District 6, said 14 of his large signs were defaced Monday and Tuesday at different locations in northeast Fresno.

Richardson, a Marine veteran and safety consultant, is running against attorney Roger Bonakdar to represent northeast Fresno on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Pictures shared by Richardson show the signs with “pedo” and “child molester” spray painted on them. He estimated that each sign cost $200.

“Those are words that are very incendiary,” Richardson said.

Security Video at Some of the Locations

Richardson said there is security footage at some of those locations, and his campaign is working with police to identify the culprit.

As to why the signs were defaced, Richardson speculated that someone may be trying to get under his skin. He also speculated that someone could be confusing him with a person with a similar name that Richardson said was investigated for child sex crimes years ago in Tulare County.

Richardson did not immediately say that his answers to a questionnaire for an LGBT group had anything to do with it.

During the primary season, Richardson was the only one of four candidates to answer questions on an LGBTQ Fresno survey.

The Fresno County Republican Party initially endorsed both Richardson and Bonakdar. Last month, after Richardson’s survey answers became public, it rescinded the Richardson endorsement.

“I was pretty clear in my questionnaire that inappropriate actions or activities around children is exactly that — inappropriate. I don’t stand for it. I don’t defend it. And, if someone were to take that and make me do the mental gymnastics to get somewhere thinking that I myself perpetrated inappropriate actions, then that’s just such a leap of imagination. I would hope that’s not where somebody went with it,” Richardson said.

Related Story: Did Candidate’s Honest Answers to LGBTQ Questions Cost Him Fresno GOP ...

Richardson: Incident Last Month

Last week, Richardson went public with an accusation that a politically active individual misrepresented himself to take down Richardson signs. The person allegedly went to a convenience store and told the clerk he represented the owner, and ordered the signs removed. This took place in August.

The Richardson campaign filed a police report, a spokesperson with the Fresno Police Department confirmed.

“I don’t even have a reason to believe that my political opponent had anything to do with it. But anybody who wants to go out and destroy our property and stop us from spreading (our) message is an opponent of our effort right now,” Richardson said.

Related Story: Free Speech vs. City Code: Fresno Cracks Down on Political, Business Signs

Supervisor Candidate Says Sign Placement a Mistake

Fresno County Supervisor Sal Quintero said a sign placed on county property was a mistake.

Quintero is running for re-election for the District 3 — south Fresno and the surrounding areas — against Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez.

A former city council candidate, Justin St. George, wrote a letter to the county, accusing Quintero of placing his signs at the county social services building in Clovis.

Such sign placement is against county code.

“Sign team placed at wrong location. Sign was removed as soon as I was informed,” Quintero texted to GV Wire.

Related Story: Supervisor Candidate Cited, Kicked Out of City Council Meeting. See the Video.