A company that won an upstate legal battle to display a giant “Vote for Trump” sign on one of its buildings is back in court — over the new “America Loves Trump” display it wants in its place.
The custom-printing company Sticker Mule filed suit in Montgomery County Supreme Court last week claiming that the zoning board in its town of Amsterdam is wrongly trying to use a technicality to keep it from exercising its freedom of speech in support of the president.
The Democratic-led town’s zoning board is blocking the massive new 8-foot-tall, 134-foot-long sign from going up by arguing that local law prevents Sticker Mule from advertising a product it doesn’t sell, according to the filing.
But Sticker Mule maintains that the sign isn’t advertising any product but instead “political, ideological and inspirational speech” — which is protected under the Constitution, the papers say.
The filing is the latest salvo in the battle between Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino — a GOP candidate for former Rep. Elise Stefanik’s congressional seat — and locals over whether he can light up his pro-Trump signs on top of the 26 Elk St. building that his manufacturing company owns.
In October, Sticker Mule won a bid to go forward with illuminating the 100-foot-long “Vote for Trump” sign over arguments by Amsterdam’s lawyers that it violated city code and could pose a safety risk by distracting drivers.
The new case is asking a judge to overturn the zoning board’s Feb. 3 denial of the even larger sign as unconstitutional. The zoning board approved two elements of the new sign — involving its large height and length — but not its content, the suit says.
The town is hiding its “true intent … to chill Sticker Mule’s political speech,” the suit claims.
Constantino said in a statement to The Post, “This is exactly the kind of corruption and political games that made me want to run for Congress in New York.
“The ‘America Loves Trump’ sign will bring energy and tourism to a blighted area, yet the city is manipulating the system to silence speech it doesn’t like.
“It’s a blatant attack on free expression and economic revitalization.”
Anthony Casale, a lawyer representing the town of Amsterdam, told The Post by phone that there was no political motivation by the zoning board in denying the sign — which he said was proven by the fact that two of the three variances Sticker Mule applied for were granted.
“The issue is solely one of zoning,” Casale said. “It’s part of [Sticker Mule’s] narrative to try to make it political in nature, but it really comes down to various zoning ordinances.”
