Port St. Lucie Police Department released an update Friday on two separate investigations involving political campaign signs, both occurring this week in the area of SW Airoso Boulevard. The first incident occurred August 5 near the intersection of SW Airoso Boulevard and SW Thanksgiving Avenue, where a Port St. Lucie Police sergeant observed Steven Giordano and an unidentified adult female near political campaign signs at a residence and initiated an investigation after one campaign sign was found on the ground while another had been placed in the yard.
Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the area, which appears to show Giordano and the unidentified adult female arrive at the residence, approach campaign signs displayed in the yard, and interact with the signage. The video further appears to show the unidentified female remove a campaign sign supporting Mayor Shannon Martin before a different campaign sign was placed in the yard.
The second incident occurred August 7 near SW Airoso Boulevard and SW Thornhill Drive, where officers responded to a disturbance involving political campaign signs. During the investigation, officers learned that Aaron Martin and Steven Giordano were involved in a verbal confrontation regarding the placement and movement of campaign signs at a nearby residence.
Officers reviewed video recordings provided by the involved parties, which depict Martin and Giordano engaged in a verbal confrontation regarding the placement and movement of political campaign signs at the residence. The confrontation occurred after Giordano says he saw a man take a sign out of the ground and throw it, according to CBS12 News. The man in the video appears to be Aaron Martin, Shannon Martin's husband and a lieutenant in Port St. Lucie's Police Department.
Investigators interviewed the homeowners and learned that both residents believed they had separately granted permission for campaign signs to be placed on the property. Officers determined that one homeowner communicated permission for one campaign's sign, while another resident of the home, who has limited English proficiency, separately conveyed permission to individuals associated with the opposing campaign.
Investigators believe the language barrier contributed to a misunderstanding regarding which campaign signs were authorized to be displayed and whether previously placed signs could be moved or replaced. The preliminary investigation indicates that both individuals believed they had permission from residents of the property to place campaign signs. Information related to the placement of the campaign signs has been forwarded to the City of Port St. Lucie Code Compliance for review.
The Port St. Lucie Police Department acknowledged that Aaron Martin is employed by the department. The department said the fact that Martin is a department employee will not influence the investigative process, and the investigation will be conducted fairly, impartially, and in accordance with department policy. The department said that should the investigation identify any potential policy violations involving a department employee, the matter will be handled in accordance with established department procedures.
Any related administrative review will proceed following the completion of the ongoing criminal investigation. Mayor Shannon Martin said in a statement that her campaign is aware of recent incidents involving the unauthorized removal of her campaign signs at different locations over several days, and that her husband simply restored the signs that had been removed.