Mattituck farmer hangs sign that said "86 47." Then the Secret Service came calling.
Doug Cooper hung up an American flag for the Fourth of July. Above it, he hung a sign reading "86 47." The Secret Service later paid him a visit.
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Mattituck farmer Doug Cooper did something that has a lot of people talking.
He hung up a sign he'd made that said "86 47."
He hung it above the American flag for the July 4 holiday.
"It means dump the guy," Cooper told News 12.
The number 86 means to "get rid of" something and President Donald Trump is the 47th president.
Days after hanging the flag, the Secret Service came calling. Cooper, a longtime school board member, said he spoke with two agents at his farm, and during a fairly brief conversation, they asked questions including whether he traveled to Washington, D.C and New York City. Cooper said the Secret Service did the right thing by checking to see if he was a threat, which he says he is not. He said he's a believer in free speech.
"The sign upset some people. Some people liked it. Some people hated it. Probably some people hate me, which is fine," Cooper told News 12.
In a statement, U.S. Secret Service lead public affairs specialist Nate Herring said:
"The U.S. Secret Service investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees. Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence."
The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District released the following statement:
"The district is aware of a matter involving the Secret Service visiting Cooper Farms in connection to a politically-driven sign displayed above an American Flag on the property. Please be assured that the Mattituck-Cutchogue School Board of Education has and will remain a non-political entity; our role is one of responsible stewardship and oversight. Personal political beliefs or affiliations of individual board members have no place in shaping our policies, decisions or actions. Our focus remains on providing high-quality education for students and maintaining fiscal transparency for our taxpayers."
Cooper said the Secret Service did not force him to take down the sign.
He said he this was the first time he'd hung the sign with the flag, which he puts up for certain holidays.
After the holiday weekend, he took them down.
Asked whether he'll hang the sign for the next holiday, he said he hadn't decided yet.
