Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) loves getting consideration for his Capitol rebellion salute.
Hawley’s marketing campaign introduced Friday that it could proceed to promote a mug emblazoned along with his notorious pre-riot fist pump, even after the copyright holder of the unique symbol despatched a cease-and-desist letter.
“The picture used at the mug is a safe honest use and the Hawley Marketing campaign’s speech is additional safe by way of the First Modification,” Hawley marketing campaign suggest Jessica Furst Johnson mentioned in a public reaction to Politico.
Politico mentioned it owns the rights to the picture, which used to be taken by way of E&E photographer Francis Chung sooner than a mob of Donald Trump supporters laid siege to the Capitol for hours (Politico owns E&E). The picture depicts Hawley saluting the group sooner than he entered the construction to make a doubtful objection to the 2020 presidential election.
As first reported by way of HuffPost ultimate week, Politico had officially requested the marketing campaign to prevent promoting pieces that includes the picture.
“We didn’t authorize its use by way of the Hawley marketing campaign for the aim of political fundraising, which the marketing campaign has been placed on realize of by way of prison suggest,” Politico spokesman Brad Dayspring mentioned.
Hawley, who by no means apologized for serving to Trump incite the assault, obviously loves the struggle. Hanging the image on marketing campaign products represents a transparent provocation — his boldest statement but that no longer most effective had he completed not anything fallacious, his position within the occasions of Jan. 6, 2021, used to be in truth just right.
And as an alternative of responding to Politico in a personal letter, Hawley’s marketing campaign put its refusal in a press free up, claiming that phrase of Politico’s call for were “leaked” to HuffPost for self-serving causes. (Politico by no means shared its authentic letter and most effective informed HuffPost about it according to a query about whether or not Hawley had acquired the rights to the picture.)
Hawley denied to HuffPost ultimate month that he sells a “pro-riot mug,” despite the fact that the object clearly places a positive spin on some of the best-known photographs from the Capitol assault. His marketing campaign has since put the picture on T-shirts and beer koozies.
As for Politico’s prison argument, Hawley’s marketing campaign claimed that it’s no longer stealing the unique symbol as a result of its model of the Chung picture is so closely stylized ― in black and white, with prime distinction and no background.
“Neither the Marketing campaign nor Senator Hawley will have interaction in self-censorship to placate the legally baseless calls for of your shopper,” Johnson mentioned.