Overview
- Fair officials said buttons at the Ashland County Democratic Party booth included phrases such as “is he dead yet,” “8647,” and references to an obituary alongside red-cap imagery.
- Deputies first asked the booth to remove the specific items, then escorted the exhibitors off the fairgrounds after additional complaints, according to the sheriff’s office.
- Fair board leaders cited a family-friendly policy and vendor rules to justify removing the booth for the rest of the fair week.
- Sheriff Kurt Schneider reported the matter to the U.S. Secret Service and said he is weighing possible criminal charges as part of an ongoing investigation.
- The county Democratic Party called the removal political censorship, said it is consulting counsel, and stated it does not endorse violence while acknowledging some buttons were in poor taste.