Winchester Star Article

Shenandoah Campaign Manager of Pollack’s Opponent Removes Pollack’s Campaign Signs, Leaves Standing those of Republican Candidate

[The following concerns an article in the Winchester Star on October 2, 2001]

Along with a note informing him his signs were illegally place within the VDOT right-of-way on U.S. 11 in Shenandoah County, C. Todd Gilbert, both an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Shenandoah County and manager of the Shenandoah County Louderback campaign, left a stack of Brad Pollack’s signs on the porch of Pollack's office sometime over the weekend.

According to an article written by D.S. Tyson in the Tuesday, October 2 edition of The Winchester Star, “State law doesn’t allow citizens to remove signs from public property without authorization from the state transportation commissioner. Those who act on their own risk prosecution for larceny.”

Although Pollack appreciated the removal and return of his signs from what may have been VDOT right-of-way, Mike McVicar, Pollack’s campaign manager, expressed dismay that Gilbert, who seemingly was acting in his capacity as Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in removing the signs, would use his official position to remove the signs especially when right-of-way is anything but a universal measurement on any given stretch of road. McVicar further suggested there is a conflict of interest on the part of Gilbert in acting as the taxpayer-paid Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and Louderback’s campaign manager with regard to this issue. McVicar’s dismay was only compounded when he learned that Gilbert chose to leave standing in the same area a sign belonging to Republican Dick Neese, candidate for Shenandoah Board of Supervisors from the New Market area.