Prosecutors investigate alleged campaign sign theft in West Orange
Jarrett Seltzer owns Bagels by Jarrett in West Orange. He is not a candidate for public office - but produced signs urging voters to reject incumbent Mayor Susan McCartney and Councilwoman Tammy Williams.
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Missing campaign signs in West Orange leads to county investigation
Jarrett Seltzer owns Bagels by Jarrett in West Orange. He is not a candidate for public office - but produced signs urging voters to reject incumbent Mayor Susan McCartney and Councilwoman Tammy Williams.
“I decided to make a sign that was basically saying, "Don't vote for them in this election," using my First Amendment right," said Seltzer. "I'm not telling you who to vote for. What I'm telling you is who not to vote for because we've seen the track records of them.”
Seltzer placed Apple AirTags in the signs. One night, they pinged.
“It was jumping around, and at 6:30 p.m., it pinged at the address of Councilwoman Tammy Williams," said Seltzer. "And we were like, 'What?'"
Seltzer says of his 100 signs, 50 have been taken. Three, he says, are directly linked to Williams.
Police bodycam footage obtained by Seltzer via the Open Public Records Act and shared with News12 shows West Orange police speaking with Williams on Oct. 15. Police are seen taking two signs that were in the trunk of Williams’ car.
“The lieutenant's talking to her about, ‘You can't steal signs, it’s illegal,’ and she commented that ‘Well, they have my name on them,'" said Seltzer. "That doesn't make property yours. It just means that your name's on it.”
In the video, Williams is heard saying, "They should have a disclaimer on it that says, ‘Paid for by who.’ I have reported that to NJ Elect.”
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it is investigating but offered no additional details. Inquiries to Councilwoman Williams and mayor McCartney were not returned.
