Election Day Ticket Adds to Co. Judge Campaign Intrigue

Fayette County Judge candidate Craig Moreau received a class C misdemeanor ticket on Wednesday, March 9, for being unlawfully present at a polling location.

The incident allegedly happened on Election Day, March 1, at the La Grange East polling location inside La Grange Church of Christ on Old Ellinger Road.

Lt. David Beyer of the Sheriff’s Office said an election judge at the polling site initially called La Grange Police to report the election law violation. Beyer said the church is located just outside the City Limits, so the case was handed over to the Sheriff’s Office.

Beyer said the Sheriff’s Office ticketed Moreau for the alleged violation on Wednesday morning, March 9. Moreau told the Record on Wednesday that he went to the polling location to see how many ballots had been cast. Moreau said he does not believe he violated the law.

“Frankly, I am very disappointed with these political games that are beneath the stature of this office,” Moreau said. “Fayette County operates above petty political posturing. Election code 61.001 is clear that there are bonafide reasons for a candidate to be inside the 100’ marker. Even if a minor violation accidentally occurs it is the lowest level of misdemeanor, the same as having a burned-out taillight.”

Moreau went on the reference the controversy earlier in the campaign when his opponent, radio station owner Dan Mueller, stopped broadcasting on his station after another candidate complained that it possibly violated federal broadcast rules regarding political campaigns.

“To quote my opponent,” Moreau said, “when he was accused by others of election violations: ‘I’ve been in the public eye long enough to know that in campaigns a lot of things happen. Many of them can’t be controlled. I would like to think that if the shoe were on the other foot I would not do this to an opponent of mine.’

“(My) campaign has not reported numerous violations that occurred by my current opponent on Election Day because the violations were trivial and there should be some common sense among leaders of the community,” Moreau added.