Jan 4, 2024 By Mike Jones 4 min read

The state attorney general’s office has withdrawn the misdemeanor theft charge against Bob Sabot, who was accused by Prothonotary Laura Hough of removing one of her political signs a day after the Nov. 7 election.

Sabot was scheduled to appear Wednesday morning for his preliminary hearing, but his lawyer and two prosecutors working for the attorney general met privately beforehand and then informed District Judge Joshua Kanalis that they were terminating the case.

“Are we going to have a hearing?” Kanalis asked the parties.

“No, your honor,” Deputy Attorney General Morgan Camerlo said. “We’re going to drop the charge.”

Camerlo and Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Simquita Bridges declined to comment after the hearing on why they decided not to pursue the case against Sabot, which had been referred to them by Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh. Before the hearing, Camerlo and Bridges could be seen in the parking lot speaking to Hough, who left shortly afterward and did not come into the courtroom.

Sabot’s defense attorney, David Wolf, said he and his client were pleased with the “amicable” decision to withdraw the charge in an attempt to ease “political tensions” that appear to be rising locally and nationally. He added that Sabot, who is also a North Franklin Township supervisor, is relieved and ready to move on with his life after clearing his name.

“I think they made the right decision,” Wolf said of the state attorney general’s office. “Mr. Sabot is grateful and thankful for the outcome.”

Sabot was accused of removing one of Hough’s campaign signs on Nov. 8 that was placed in the grassy shoulder beside Route 40 near Spring Road in Centerville Borough. Sabot’s wife, Sandy, ran as a Democrat for prothonotary and lost to Hough, who is a Republican now entering her second term in office.

Sabot previously said in a newspaper interview after the theft charge was filed by Centerville police that he was out cleaning up his wife’s political signs a day after the election and was collecting others as he came upon them. When Sabot saw one of Hough’s signs, he said he parked his vehicle and got out to retrieve it. That’s when Hough apparently sprang from her vehicle that was parked nearby and recorded the encounter on her cellphone.

Sabot said he then handed the sign to Hough when she asked for it, and the two parted ways. According to court documents, the political sign cost $7.

Wolf questioned why Centerville police filed the charge of theft by unlawful taking of movable property at all, even with the urging of Hough. Wolf noted that the sign Sabot was in the process of removing was in the right-of-way for a state highway, which could bring a $500 fine to the offending candidate, although he acknowledged that punishment is unlikely.

“From my understanding, it’s fairly customary for candidates to pick up each other’s signs,” Wolf said. “After Election Day, it’s just litter.”

He added that Register of Wills James Roman was prepared to testify on Sabot’s behalf, claiming that Sabot had called him earlier on that fateful day to inform him that he had picked up a dozen of Roman’s signs and was preparing to bring them to his county office. Bob and Sandy Sabot could be seen chatting with Roman in the parking lot after Wednesday’s proceeding.

Sabot said in a brief phone interview after the hearing that he was “exploring my options” on how to respond to what he considered was a malicious criminal charge filed by police at the behest of Hough, but he did not elaborate on what, if anything, he might do.