Charges have been filed against Minnesota House candidate Judd Hoff and his wife in connection with the theft of more than 240 signs.

The signs, all reportedly stolen from the Alexandria area, include those for political campaigns, real estate as well as special events and advertising.

Minnesota legislative candidate Judd Hoff, 53. (Courtesy of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)

Wendy Hoff, 50, has been charged with felony theft, while Judd Hoff, 53, has been charged with aiding and abetting felony theft and felony receiving of stolen property.

Judd Hoff filed as a DFL candidate for District 12B House in May and is running against Rep. Mary Franson, R-Alexandria. In August 2021, Hoff was found guilty of one count of felony second-degree assault, which authorities say stemmed from an incident where Hoff used a machete to threaten a man who took his American flag.

Judd Hoff acknowledged his criminal history when he announced his campaign and was endorsed by the Senate District 12 DFL Central Committee in April. After details of his criminal record surfaced, the Minnesota DFL Party stated it wouldn’t endorse him and wouldn’t spend any of its resources on behalf of Hoff.

Committee rescinds endorsement

On Monday the executive committee of the Minnesota DFL Senate District 12 met and rescinded Hoff’s endorsement “for cause.” It said the decision was based on police actions related to the alleged sign thefts.

“In taking this action, we are following the rules, bylaws and recommendations of the State DFL Office,” the committee said.

The maximum sentence for all of the charges in the sign case is five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.

The charges were filed in Douglas County District Court on Aug. 9. As of Monday, both of the Hoffs were in Douglas County Jail.

Wendy Hoff, 50. (Courtesy of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)

Piles of signs

According to the statement of probable cause in the case of Wendy Hoff, approximately 242 signs of varying value were recovered during the execution of a search warrant last week.

In the Hoffs’ Alexandria backyard, authorities found piles of signs, and more in the garage, the statement of probable cause in Judd Hoff’s case read.

The search warrant reads that the signs were both large and small and included those advertising Donald Trump, Gov. Tim Walz, Calvary Lutheran, Art in the Park, Casey’s Amusement, ReMax, the Vikingland Parade, Legacy of the Lakes, Hoffman Produce and many others.

The statement of probable cause in Wendy Hoff’s case reads that the value of the signs exceeds $1,500.

Many of the signs recovered from the home were covered in black paint, and several of them were repainted with “Vote Hoff, State Representative 12B.”

Statement from Wendy Hoff

In a statement on Facebook, Wendy Hoff said she supports the beautification and safety of local roads.

“I have been in communication with someone from the city about the excessive amount of signs throughout the town,” Wendy Hoff said. “All activities have followed with current state and federal Laws, like the Highway Beautification Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as current city ordinances. I have also utilized MnDOT as a resource and communicated with them.”

She added that actions of local law enforcement have been based on “incomplete information.”

“Once all of my documented items are seen and investigated, I am confident this will be resolved, however I have yet to be contacted by them for this investigation,” she said. ” It is important to keep our roadways clear of distractions and follow our current ordinances when it comes to our public right of way spaces. We all have a duty to insure our public space is just that — public space not commercial billboards for only the ‘privileged’ and to insure safe public right of ways without litter or obstacles.”

The statement of probable cause in Judd Hoff’s case estimates the total damages are nearing $5,000.

Wendy Hoff is cited as a suspect in multiple sign thefts dating back to last month, according to the search warrant.

In the course of the investigation, a deputy spoke with Hoff regarding one of her husband’s signs being removed from the public right of way by law enforcement. Body camera footage was taken of Hoff on July 10, which authorities say included statements from her expressing frustration with her husband’s sign being taken.

Hoff allegedly made the statement, “If I put a sign within 12 feet of this property, by law you as a person could come by and take that piece of property because it’s in the right of way.”

She also allegedly stated, “You can’t even put a — technically a garage sale sign, a realtor sign, ‘kay? Them b*****s gotta go.”

In the press release about the warrant, authorities say it will take time for those who had signs taken to be contacted and their signs returned.

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