'Go somewhere else': Sheriff may file charges against Democrats over anti-Trump buttons

Members of the Ashland County, Ohio Democratic Party were recently escorted out of the county fair for displaying merchandise critical of President Donald Trump. And criminal charges could soon follow, according to the local sheriff.

Cleveland, Ohio-based ABC affiliate WEWS reported Friday that Ashland County Sheriff Kurt Schneider is contemplating filing criminal charges against the Democrats for displaying several buttons that he and other fairgoers found objectionable. WEWS reported that before the Democrats were escorted out, they were told to stop displaying the buttons. After several fairgoers continued to complain, deputies escorted the Democrats off of the fairgrounds.

One of the buttons in question shows a red baseball cap with "FELON" written on it, and the text "is he dead yet" underneath. Another button has a red baseball cap bearing the message "RESIST" with the caption "8647" (which is a reference to both a restaurant term to get rid of something on the menu and Trump being the 47th president of the United States).

Both Schneider and fairgoer Dan Kaufman viewed the buttons as "threatening," and the sheriff said he had contacted the U.S. Secret Service over the buttons. He said he hadn't ruled out pressing charges, but didn't immediately specify what charges he was considering.

"Everybody can say anything, right? But then what are the consequences of what you say?" Schneider told WEWS. "This kind of nonsense, it can go somewhere else."

State senator Bill DeMora (D) argued the buttons were protected speech, and blasted local authorities over their reaction.

""This is censorship," he said. "It's a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech."

""[Schneider] is wrong and will lose any battle in court," he added.