Ashland County, Ohio: Sheriff鈥檚 Office investigates buttons sold at county fair
Cases
Case Overview
On September 18, 2025, at the Ashland County Fair, county officials shut down the Ashland County Democratic Party鈥檚 booth and law enforcement escorted its members off the fairgrounds after fairgoers complained about buttons sold by the group that read 鈥淚s he dead yet?鈥 and 鈥8647,鈥 referring to President Donald Trump. The Sheriff鈥檚 Office also reported the incident to the Secret Service and began considering criminal charges on the grounds the buttons were 鈥渢hreatening.鈥
On September 23, FIREwrote the Sheriff鈥檚 Office, urging it to immediately cease any investigation concerning the constitutionally protected buttons. FIREalso called on the County Fair Board to refrain from restricting speech based on viewpoint at future events.
Case Team
