New York officials have been confiscating yard signs that support Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, who has begun showing a slight lead against unelected Democratic incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul. 

In one recent video, New York Assemblyman Peter J. Abbate, Jr is confronted by a woman as he removes a Lee Zeldin sign, a stack of them already under one arm. Abbate says he is “taking down the illegal signs.” When asked why they are illegal, Abbate says “you’re not allowed to put up signs on public property.” Abbate tries to claim he takes down all signs, but the woman says she has never seen him do so. 

“I’ve never seen you do this,” she presses. “Where were you when all the COVID signs for the vaccines were out?” 

Abbate responds that Zeldin is “breaking the law,” ostensibly because of the signs that are supporting him, and complains that “they’re all over the place” in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn. 

“I think it would be a disgrace for someone running for governor, who’s breaking the law before he even takes office,” Abbate stated. 

Abbate told America’s Frontline News that the sign he is seen taking down in the video was on a traffic signal pole at 72^nd Street and 14^th Avenue and therefore public property. It is illegal in New York to affix signs to public property. 

On Wednesday, video footage posted to social media shows a New York Sanitations officer stopping his car in the middle of the road to remove a Lee Zeldin sign from a road verge, the strip of grass next to the sidewalk. 

Last week, a New York policewoman was seen taking down Lee Zeldin signs in Queens and then posing for the camera when she is caught on video. “Your city is corrupt,” says the man holding the camera. 

Other photos posted by Eric Rosenberg show two New York officials – who reportedly said they worked for New York Department of Parks and Recreation, removing Lee Zeldin signs as well.