Candidate's spouse charged in sign spat

Canton, Conn. (WTNH) - The husband of Martha Dean, candidate for attorney general, is facing a breach of peace charge after he got in an argument with a woman over a political sign.

The dispute happened when the homeowner returned to her property along Albany Turnpike in Canton and says that signs on her property had been replaced with her opponents.

Betty Fiora, 56, is endorsing Ross Garber for Attorney General. But Sunday night she says someone ripped signs for Garber out of the ground and replaced them with ones promoting candidate Martha Dean.

As Fiora removed the Dean signs and began walking away, she says a man pulled up along the busy stretch and began yelling.

"He got out of the car and he was screaming and he lunged at me,” Fiora stated. “You can see my black and blues."

Police say a witness confirmed the altercation. It turns out the man is Malcolm McGough, Dean's husband and campaign manager. He was arrested for breach of peace.

Fiora says for years she's allowed candidates to place signs on her property because thousands of people drive by everyday. She says her call to police wasn't politically motivated.

"I didn't contact the media, the media contacted me,” she said. “I felt threatened and that's why I contacted police."

Betty Fiora says McGough didn't want her to contact the police because he felt it would hurt Martha Dean's campaign. Fiora says McGough did apologize for his actions.

Monday night, an attorney for Malcolm McGough stated that, " Mr. McGough denies the allegations made by Ms. Fiora in their entirety."