A Sharon man is facing multiple charges in connection with the vandalism of the Hermitage office of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly.
According to Hermitage police Chief Adam Piccirillo, the department received reports of the vandalism just before midnight Friday. Expletives, disparaging accusations and derisive comments directed toward the Republican from Butler were scrawled across office windows in red paint. Anti-Republican fliers were also found on the windows, Piccirillo said.
Kelly has been a strong backer of President Donald Trump.
Hermitage Police filed charges against Joe Monte Lemons, 46, of Sharon, on Monday. Piccirillo said the department has been in contact with U.S. Capitol Police and the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office during the investigation.
There were no employees in the office at the time of the vandalism, Kelly said in a previous statement.
“Let’s be clear: Political violence and vandalism are never acceptable,” he said in a statement Saturday.
Kelly’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon.
“Presently, Joe Monte Lemons, Jr. has been charged by the Hermitage Police with Criminal Mischief and Harassment,” Piccirillo said in an email. “Final determination on criminal charges and primary prosecutorial jurisdiction is pending further consultation with (the U.S.) Capitol Police and the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office.”
Kelly represents the 16th District, which includes Butler, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence and Mercer counties and parts of Venango County. He was first elected to the House in 2010.
