Police: SUNY Professor Laura Ebert Caught Stealing GOP Yard Signs Ahead of Midterms

State University of New York professor Laura Ebert has been charged with misdemeanor larceny after she was allegedly caught on video stealing GOP lawn signs ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.

My lawn signs for #NY19
@JohnFasoNy and @marcmolinaro we're just stolen from my front lawn 😡 pic.twitter.com/4IWbzojLIA

— 🇺🇸 Lisa McMericaἴ🇺🇸 (@LisaMcGov) November 1, 2018

Rosendale, New York, resident Lisa McGovern posted a video to Twitter of a woman walking onto her property and swiping her GOP lawn signs. Police have charged Laura Ebert, an economics lecturer at the State University of New York, New Paltz, with the theft.

Ebert was charged with misdemeanor larceny for stealing the signs, which were used to promote Republican candidates John Faso and Marc Molinaro, who both lost their races on Tuesday.

In a comment, McGovern condemned Ebert for betraying the principles of free expression that academics are supposed to defend. “I kind of thought it was funny in a way, because of the times, you hear about stories of the professors being very liberal and not allowing people with conservative or Republican views to speak…almost like trying to shut down my voice, which seems antithetical to what a professor should be doing because we should all have a voice,” McGovern said.

In a comment, Ebert apologized for her actions.  “I have family I love that support Trump, so I was after the sign, not the person,” Ebert said. “I have apologized and feel bad, but clearly the GOP is putting a big deal [of] spin on this. Many signs have been taken and disfigured, which, while no excuse for my bad behavior, doesn’t warrant the death threats I have received…Nor the smear campaign after me…”

McGovern defended Ebert, arguing that partisans on both sides of the political spectrum are making irresponsible decisions. “I’m sure she’s not a bad person but she just acted irrationally,” McGovern said. “I think it’s actually kind of a representation of what’s happening in our country right now, that people on both sides are dug in on their side and doing things without thinking.”