Electronic road sign hacked to display ‘Impeach The Bastard'

An electronic road sign near Northeast 55th Street and 35th Avenue Northeast showed a salty demand during the morning commute. “Impeach the Bastard,” it read instead of the traffic advisory it was supposed to be showing.

Ross Fenton sent a picture and a complaint to KIRO 7.

“It doesn't seem like an appropriate message to be coming from the City of Seattle,” he said.

The sign was back to normal by 11 a.m., but we showed the picture to Rich Gordon who was passing by.

“Oh, I approve. That's a good message,” he laughed.

Gordon has been following the accusations that President Trump held up military aid to force Ukraine's president to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden. An action many congressional Democrats are calling an impeachable offense.

Asked if that message should be on a road sign Gordon responded, “Oh, no, no, no of course not. But that's fun.”

Seattle Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has supported impeachment proceedings for months.

“There doesn't need to be a quid pro quo to be a crime, just the fact that he did all those things is sufficient.”

But the Chair of the Washington State Republican Party says it will all backfire on Democrats.

“They're resorting to another impeachment Inquiry, trying to throw more dirt on the wall and see what sticks,” said Caleb Heimlich.

Asked if President Trump is losing any of his support in Washington State, he responded, “Obviously this is fresh, but most people see this for what it is as another distraction.”

The Seattle Department of Transportation says the sign was hacked by vandals, not changed by a city employee. A new padlock should keep it secure.

And Rich Gordon is watching the impeachment proceedings.

“It's moving along. It's progressing and Nancy Pelosi has things under control.”

SPOTTED: This sign was seen in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood this morning. At 5, KIRO 7's Essex Porter is gathering local reaction to the sign and to the impeachment inquiry launched by the House.
Posted by KIRO 7 News on Wednesday, September 25, 2019

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