Escambia campaign sign dispute investigations over. What they found
Escambia Sheriff Chip Simmons says his office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have wrapped up investigations into allegations that two Escambia County officials illegally or improperly meddled with a candidate’s campaign signs and found no wrongdoing.
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The complaints were filed by Republican State House District 2 candidate Trei McMullen on Aug. 12.
McMullen alleged that former West Florida Public Libraries Director Christal Bell-Rivera and her husband, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office neighborhood specialist Ronnie Rivera, moved his opponent’s campaign signs to deliberately block his image and undermine his campaign.
The event that sparked the scandal happened on Aug. 9 outside the Bellview Library early voting site.
McMullen provided photos showing the couple stacking and placing smaller yard signs for his opponent, Jon Fay, directly in front of his larger campaign signs.
Simmons said an internal affairs investigation was conducted into Ronnie Rivera’s behavior and there was no violation of policy.
Simmons forwarded McMullen’s second complaint to the FDLE because it involved one of his employees and allegations of illegal campaign-related conduct.
Simmons said state investigators found there was no basis for a criminal investigation.
“Our investigation and FDLE’s investigation are both complete. There will be no further action taken,” Simmons said.
Rivera did not respond to a request for comment, and a call for comment to McMullen was not immediately returned.
Why were the Bell-Riveras positioning campaign signs?
Christal Bell-Rivera’s adult daughter, Mallory, was working for then State House District 2 candidate Jon Fay’s campaign. Fay has since won the election.
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Bell-Rivera’s attorney, Chris Crawford, told the News Journal that Mallory asked her mother and Ronnie to place Fay’s campaign signs outside the library early that evening because she was concerned about her safety.
“She did not want to be in that parking lot alone after dark,” Crawford said in a letter to the News Journal dated Aug. 15. “So, my client and her husband, on their way to a movie, stopped and did it for her.”
Crawford was unaware the investigations were completed and his client was cleared of any wrongdoing but said his client had “committed no crime” and has been “portrayed unfairly in a small community.”
“She did nothing that should have cost her a career, but one was taken from her anyway,” Crawford said. “We know she will be vindicated.”
Bell-Rivera submitted her resignation as library director on Aug. 10, the day after the incident.
County officials declined to give a reason why.
Where does the search for a new library director stand?
Rachel Nicholas, deputy director for West Florida Public Libraries, is serving as the interim library services director.
Escambia County is in the process of appointing two more members to the WFPL Board of Governance, which plays a role in the process of hiring the director.
The official director position has not yet been formally posted as county leaders and the revived board clarifies what role the volunteer governance board will play in the new selection process.
Mollye Barrows is an award-winning investigative reporter for the Pensacola News Journal covering legal justice and government accountability matters.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia campaign sign dispute investigations over. What they found
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Reporting by Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published October 5, 2026 at 5:05 AM.
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