The Chandler Council Member's campaign is suspected of having been involved with the disappearance of signs opposing his re-election. He seems very unhappy about this.
The campaign of Odainke Asa Harris, aka OD Harris, Chandler City Council member and Chandler Vice Mayor, is suspected of having been involved with the disappearance of a campaign sign opposing his re-election.
In fact, the group Vote Out OD Harris claims that at least 60 of their signs have disappeared from the streets of Chandler in the run up to the 31 July 2024 primary. They say that the disappearance of their signs was so widespread and systematic they were unable to get their message out. We were told that they estimate that they only reached around 10% of the audience they would have reached had their signs remained intact. They do not allege the involvement of anyone in the disappearance of their signs. Their reports to police apparently did not name a suspect.
The group appears to have taken some measures in attempts to identify culprits. On two or three occasions they appear to have succeeded in photographing individuals who may have been involved with removing their signs. They told us that Chandler Police at first were very reluctant to investigate, closing the case only days after their complaint. After they had succeeded in photographing the disappearance of a sign, seemingly removed an unknown woman, Chandler police started investigating more seriously. Chandler PD was not able to identify the woman, despite multiple pictures, and so the case is inactive.
No OD has shown us a letter of dismissal from the Gilbert Town Clerk indicating that Harris had complained about their campaign to the Town of Gilbert. The complaint was investigated and dismissed. The group suspects that it is possible that the Harris campaign may have lodged complaints with multiple government agencies in an attempt to get the Vote Out OD group and their campaign shut down legally and possibly punished.
Chandler PD only referred the No-OD sign disappearance case to prosecutors when a witness not associated with the campaign had apparently witnessed signs being taken down and managed to photograph the getaway car. Apparently they witnessed a middle aged bald black male driving this car away from the scene at speed. Apparently the pictures taken by a witness seem to indicate that the car driving away from the scene was a Lexus loaner with the number 184. It appears Harris had been in possession of a loaner car with the number 164 at or around the same time. The Harris owned Lexus was apparently being serviced at Earnhardt Lexus at the time. The police report can be found here.
Harris, and his wife, on their part appear to have launched a scorched earth campaign against those who may oppose them. Harris reportedly lodged a complaint against one police officer involved in the case referred to prosecutors. Harris was on social media naming, shaming, and showing pictures of two individuals who he claims are involved with the Vote Out OD Harris Campaign and tells his followers and whoever else sees his posts: "I hope you are not friends with these people". Harris then proceeds to claim that "these people" attacked him and his family. We are wondering whether this behavior rises to the level of witness influencing, since there is an active criminal case related to the matter.
Editor's note: The blackouts in the above picture were inserted by us, they were not present in the original picture.
Harris also appears to possibly have pulled a Jussie Smollet by showing neatly looking pictures he claims show one of his campaign signs in a trash bin, while another is defaced with a swastika, No-OD and the word nig*er. While it is possible that these are genuine, they could be staged and certainly fit in neatly with Harris' apparent claims that racists in Chandler are out to get him. Harris' wife seems to have claimed on social media that a small group within the Chandler PD is corrupt. Harris' wife also seems to allege that the group opposing her husband's re-election is racist.
Harris' wife, who says on her social media that she is a cae manager for the IRS, has apparently alluded to the "pathetic" $1 value assigned by the victims of the disappeared sign, claiming that the group who placed them is "illegal". However, something much more serious is going on here. Because if a government official were engaged in removing signs opposing their re-election, then this would rise to a violation of the First Amendment. It would not be dissimilar to countries in which speech opposing the government simply isn't allowed and is suppressed with force.
Harris had earlier been accused of having embellished his military record. The actual records, shown also in our publication, indicate Harris was uncharacteristically discharged and restricted from re-enlisting. Arizona Central had checked whether Harris had ever done counter-intelligence as he had claimed in a video that was hosted on the City of Chandler website (now removed - archived here), but their research indicated that Harris had not been trained in counter-intel.
It would seem possible that OD Harris is unfamiliar with the foundations of a free society. Calling critics harassers and publicly going after those who oppose him would seem closer to an authoritarian than a democrat. Despite his pledges to public safety, and an endorsement by the Phoenix Police Union, his complaint against an officer involved in investigating him may show an "I am above the law" attitude. Harris' supporters may wish to carefully evaluate whether it is a smart idea to be governed by someone who may come after you if you disagree with him.
Harris is a far left leaning independent whose campaign in part has been financed by Democrat-allied groups and individuals. We reached out to Mayor Hartke, Councilwoman Hawkins and candidate Yang for comments about Harris' scandals and got exactly 0 replies. All 3 are registered Republicans. Hartke had actually endorsed Harris during the primary, giving a middle finger to his own party. We assume they are scared to be called racist, busy planning the next section 8 apartment block in Chandler, working on the next big bond issuance to support their ever more out of control spending plans, finding leftist radicals to endorse, and, of course, wondering why the City of Chandler recently switched from Republican to Democrat control.
We must take back our city council and demand of Harris resignation. He is dirty