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State Rep. Anne Hughes on Equal Pay Day, March 25, 2025 at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Credit: Ayannah Brown / Connecticut Public

Rep. Anne Hughes, D-Easton, was issued a summons Saturday for a misdemeanor larceny charge related to taking a Republican opponent’s lawn sign that he says was tracked to Hughes’ property by a hidden air tag.

Hughes, who is seeking reelection to a fifth term representing the 135th House District of Easton, Redding and Weston, acknowledged removing lawn signs that she says were improperly placed on public property.

“I apologize for removing them rather than contacting the police or my opponent’s campaign to remove them, and I take full responsibility and accountability for my actions,” Hughes said in statement.

Darrell Harris, the Republican challenger, said a volunteer frustrated by disappearing lawn signs had hidden air tags in some signs, and the campaign was able to track one Friday.

“I expected it to ping to same random person,” Harris said Saturday. “The last thing I expected was it to ping on her property.”

The signs taunted Hughes for a so-called “hot mic” moment at a press conference called by lawmakers who favor higher taxes on the wealthy. She was heard joking to colleague, “We’re not rich. But I always tell the governor to tax my people — they won’t even notice.” 

Harris’ signs said, “We noticed.”

Harris also has used the quote in advertising, including one on Facebook with the hot mic audio.

A social media ad by Republican Darrell Harris capitalizes on the hot mic moment. Credit: Darrell Harris ad

Harris said he reported the missing signs and their suspected location to Easton police. 

“The cops have to do their job,” Hughes said Saturday. “They showed up at our house at 10 p.m.”

Hughes said she had signs from several campaigns, including Gov. Ned Lamont’s, that she found either discarded or improperly placed on a public right of way.

“I brought them the whole pile,” she said.

In exchange, she was handed a summons for sixth-degree larceny, instructing her to appear in court in two weeks, she said.

“Campaigns should be about issues and differences of ideas, not yard signs,” Hughes said. “I apologize for the distraction and am committed to having civil discourse with my opponent for the duration of this campaign season.”

Mark is the Capitol Bureau Chief and a co-founder of CT Mirror. He is a frequent contributor to WNPR, a former state politics writer for The Hartford Courant and Journal Inquirer, and contributor for The New York Times.