UPDATE: ATTEMPT TO MISLEAD? SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE TAKES CREDIT FOR CONCERNS ABOUT "STOLEN" SIGNS AND DRAGS MODOT INTO IT

Rockwood school board candidate Amy Ryan is making claims about MoDOT (Missouri's Department of Transportation) in an attempt to convince supporters that she's really the victim of stolen signs, rather than her opponent.

LET'S GET YOU UP TO SPEED.

As we first reported Monday night, a Ryan supporter was caught on video removing campaign signs that belong to one of Ryan's opponents.

Rockwood's teachers union released a statement saying taking signs is not ok.

Ryan quickly released a statement following the union statement, that makes it look like her own sign is the one that was stolen.

As proof that her sign was the one stolen, Ryan announced that MoDOT confirmed it didn't take Ryan's sign.

Her story fell apart when a MoDOT email was leaked. The leaked email says MoDOT DID take Ryan's sign.

WHY WOULD MODOT BE INVOLVED IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Because Ryan's sign was improperly placed, in the right of way along Highway 141 in Fenton. That's what a MoDot supervisor told us this morning. (The area is high traffic/high visibility placement for a sign.)

For Ryan's story to be plausible, MoDOT could not have removed her sign. But, MoDOT did remove it. (See more below.) 

Not exactly another Jussie Smollett situation, but the appearance of Ryan misleading her supporters by saying her sign was stolen when it wasn't, is blowing up all over social media today.

SEE THE STATEMENTS FOR YOURSELF:

First the RNEA statement from Monday:

"As there are concerns with candidates' campaign signs being removed from private property, I want to issue a public statement that the RNEA does not encourage or condone such behavior."

Next, Ryan's statement soon after:

"Thank you to RNEA for hearing my concerns about sign removal from private property. The volunteers from both the Ryan and Stine campaigns are currently reviewing private property security footage for the two large signs (1 Ryan; 1 Stine) that were stolen from a major road in Fenton on the evening of March 6th."

COORDINATED?

Note: The RNEA has endorsed Ryan.
Ryan's campaign posted her statement on Facebook minutes after the RNEA posted theirs.

Notice her statement goes further and that's where this trouble really started. She says MoDOT confirmed it didn't remove her sign:

"We also reached out to MoDot and they confirmed they did not remove the signs. If suspects can be identified, the video will be turned over to the police department by the owner of the property. The volunteers for both campaigns replaced the signs this past weekend and I hope for no future incidents..."

To the average reader, the statement about MoDOT appears to be proof that someone stole Ryan's sign.

EXCEPT:

MODOT CONTRADICTED RYAN'S STATEMENT

We obtained this email from MoDOT, which says MoDOT DID, in fact, remove the signs.

The email was sent to the person who complained about the signs which, evidently, were not allowed to be placed there.

Sent to a 3rd party. It is unknown whether Ryan has seen it. 

Why would Ryan risk saying MoDOT told her something only to have MoDOT later contradict her? We don't know. Ryan turned off comments on her Facebook post that included her statement.

Sources say these are the signs in question: 

IRONY

Ryan and Stine apparently posted their signs in an area that wasn't allowed. 
MoDOT, an agency authorized to remove signs, says it (lawfully) removed them. 

Izzy Imig signs were removed by a Ryan and Stine supporter, and was caught on video in the act.

The supporter was not authorized to remove them. 

This is either because the signs were on private property or because the woman who removed them wasn't authorized to do so. 

Editor's note:

This post was updated to reflect additional information after speaking directly with MoDOT Tuesday morning.

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