AirTag Tracks Stolen Campaign Signs Back to Connecticut Lawmaker’s Property
“Yesterday I removed lawn signs that shouldn’t have been on public property,” Rep. Anne Hughes said in a statement posted on Facebook, taking full responsibility after police traced missing opposition signage directly to her Easton property using a hidden electronic tracker.
The 135th House District race took a sharp, unexpected turn when campaign staff for Republican challenger Darrell Harris filed a police complaint on Friday, November 1, 2026. Harris’s team reported several campaign signs missing from the area near Route 59 and Judd Road. Unknown to whoever removed them, at least one of the signs featured an AirTag tracker.
The Electronic Trail Leads Home
According to Easton police, the tracker signal led officers straight to land owned by Hughes, a Democrat representing Easton, Weston, and Redding. Authorities issued Hughes a misdemeanor summons for sixth-degree larceny after she returned several of the recovered signs.
Harris could not be reached immediately for comment by phone or email on Sunday. However, the signs at the center of the dispute carry heavy political baggage. For months, Harris has used his lawn signs and social media to spotlight a contentious hot mic moment from April 15, 2025.
That incident occurred just after Hughes and fellow members of the legislature’s Tax Equity Caucus wrapped up a press conference advocating for an increase in Connecticut’s capital gains tax. Still caught on an active recording device, Hughes turned to her colleagues and said, “We’re not rich. But I always say to the governor, ‘Tax my people. They won’t even notice.’”
Political Fallout and Ongoing Backlash
The remarks drew swift condemnation from Republican lawmakers across the state. State Rep. Tony Scott, a Republican from Monroe who also represents part of Easton, criticized the comments online shortly after the press conference, writing that Hughes had “said the quiet part out loud.” At the time, Hughes maintained that her comments referred exclusively to her wealthiest constituents.
Following the news of the larceny summons, Republican leaders renewed their attacks.
