Dupage Policy Journal

A resident on Monroe Street told the DuPage Policy Journal that she called police after confronting a woman, who claimed to be a Village of Hinsdale employee, removing Andrew Catton campaign signs from her front yard at around 8:15 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 14. 

“She identified herself as a Village of Hinsdale employee and wore a sweatshirt with the Village name and logo. She said someone complained about the signs,” said Angela Tocco. “Not only did she take down the signs but also was in the process of stealing them and putting them into her car. Appears she selectively removed all Andrew Catton signs along Chicago avenue.”

Tocco said she immediately contacted the Hinsdale Police Department (HPD) to report the incident. 

Kristina McCloy | Kristina McCloy

“Hinsdale police confirmed that no one from the village was out this morning removing signs. What she is doing is illegal and is being investigated,” Tocco said. 

In 2023, Catton ran for the same office and was similarly subjected to underhanded tactics after an imposter website titled "Who is Andrew Catton?" went live containing fake content, including what appeared to be legit emails and social media posts. 

Democrat strategist Reid McCollum, a volunteer for leftist Hinsdale D86 school board member Asma Akhras, later admitted to creating the fake website and associated social media accounts. He was asked to leave the campaign due to his actions. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic McCollum notably took photos of children playing at Dietz Park in Hinsdale, posted them online, and encouraged his followers to publicly shame the children and their parents for not wearing masks. His behavior was widely criticized as invasive and reckless, violating the privacy and safety of children in the public park. 

This latest incident seemingly targeting Catton is again drawing attention to the methods used to influence local elections.

Kristina McCloy, a representative of Concerned Parents of Hinsdale, whose group paid for the yard signs endorsing Catton, expressed alarm over the situation.

"This morning I was alerted to a situation in Hinsdale where someone was potentially impersonating a village employee and removing campaign signs from yards,” McCloy told DuPage Policy Journal. “If true, this is a disturbing development for our community during local elections. I hope the HPD quickly gets to the bottom of this and discovers the truth."

Catton is a Hinsdale resident and father of three future D86 students who has been vocal about the impact of rising property taxes on the community. He's calling for a more sustainable approach to school funding and noted his commitment to narrowing the performance gap between low- and high-income students by improving curriculum accessibility and providing targeted support services.