Fake political signs target Democrat in Virginia

Fake political signs against the Democratic nominee in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District have sprung up across the district, tying her to policies she does not hold.

The signs say that Abigail Spanberger supports impeaching the president, “open borders” and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to The Washington Post.

Campaign staffers spotted the signs Sunday morning in Chesterfield County and instructed people to report them to county officials.

{mosads} Spanberger, a former CIA officer and considered a moderate, said she opposes open borders and abolishing ICE. She is running against Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), who unexpectedly unseated then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary in 2014. 

“This desperate attempt is nothing but a smear tactic,” Justin Jones, communications director for the Spanberger campaign, told The Hill.

“The fact that individuals would break campaign finance laws to place these signs shows how concerned they are about our campaign winning in November,” he added.

Jones said the Spanberger campaign does not know who is responsible for the signs, which did not specify where the funds to pay for them had come from, in violation of the law for campaign advertising.

The Brat campaign denied having any knowledge of the signs.

“These were unauthorized campaign signs posted by an unknown third party that the Brat campaign had no knowledge of,” spokeswoman Katey Price said in a statement to The Hill.

Though the policies referenced in the false signs are popular talking points for some progressive candidates, more moderate candidates campaigning in suburban swing districts have largely not embraced with them.

The Cook Political Report labels the 7th District race a “toss up.”