PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — Three Port St. Lucie police officers, including the mayor’s husband, are on paid leave as FDLE takes over a criminal investigation into campaign sign disputes.

The Port St. Lucie Police Department announced Thursday that Lt. Aaron Martin, Lt. Jason Vega, and Detective Sgt. Joseph Alves were placed on leave effective Aug. 11 while the investigations are underway.

The announcement comes less than a week before the Aug. 18 election, as tensions between Mayor Shannon Martin and mayoral challenger Steve Giordano have spilled into disputes over campaign signs.

Aaron Martin is the mayor’s husband and a Port St. Lucie police lieutenant. The department has previously said his employment would not influence the investigation.

The department said the three officers were placed on paid administrative leave as a standard procedure to protect the integrity of the ongoing criminal and internal investigations.

“The investigative process requires that the criminal investigation be completed prior to the commencement of the internal administrative investigation,” PSLPD said.

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The two campaign-sign incidents happened Aug. 5 and Aug. 7 in the area of Southwest Airoso Boulevard.

In the first case, police said surveillance video appeared to show Giordano and an unidentified woman approaching campaign signs at a residence. The woman was seen removing a sign supporting Mayor Martin before another campaign sign was placed in the yard. Police said they were investigating whether the signs were moved or replaced with the property owner’s authorization.

The second incident involved a confrontation between Giordano and Aaron Martin over campaign signs near Southwest Airoso Boulevard and Southwest Thornhill Drive.

Video of the confrontation showed the two men arguing about whether campaign signs had been placed on private property without permission. Police say investigators later learned that both residents of the home had separately given permission for campaign signs to be placed there, contributing to a misunderstanding.

At the time, police said there was no indication that signs involved in that incident had been stolen or intentionally damaged.

Now, FDLE is taking over the criminal investigation.

PSLPD Chief Leo Niemczyk reviewed the initial facts and timeline before determining that requesting FDLE’s assistance was appropriate to ensure the investigation remained “fair, impartial, and unbiased,” according to the department.

FDLE has agreed to assume responsibility for the criminal investigation, and Port St. Lucie police said it will not provide additional information or comment on matters being handled by the state agency.

Once the criminal investigation is complete, PSLPD said its internal administrative investigation will proceed under department procedures and applicable law, including the Florida Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights.

The mayor has previously denied that her campaign stole or damaged Giordano’s signs. She said her husband was restoring signs that had been removed without permission.

The investigation remains ongoing, and no determination of wrongdoing has been announced.