Fresh off receiving coordinated cease-and-desist letters from both Starbucks and The Seattle Times, Washington GOP Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley is also facing a lawsuit from the Seattle Seahawks for her husband wearing one of the team’s jerseys.
(Video Credit: Smiley for Washington)
The kicker here is that the candidate’s husband is Retired Army Ranger Maj. Scotty Smiley who was awarded the jersey by the Seahawks themselves for being the first blind active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army years before it made the briefest of appearances in his wife’s “Gameday” campaign ad. He lost his eyesight after a car bomb went off near him while in Iraq. He received the Purple Heart for his bravery, according to Fox News.
The Seahawks honored him in November 2014 for the NFL’s Salute to Service campaign. Smiley raised the No. 12 flag for Seattle before the team took on the New York Giants that day.
The September ad highlighted how President Joe Biden and Smiley’s opponent, Democrat Sen. Patty Murray, have harmed working families with rising costs at the grocery store. That even includes beer.
When Smiley mentions beer in the ad, her incredulous husband comments, “Are you kidding me?” That’s when the Seahawks claim you can see their logo although it appears to be a stretch at best. More accurately, it showed the team’s colors, gray and green.
(Video Credit: Fox News)
Days after the ad ran for Tiffany Smiley, the Seahawks sent a cease-and-desist letter to her campaign asserting that her ad was infringing on their trademarked logo.
“Given that the Smiley for Washington campaign has no such agreement with the NFL or the Seahawks, we must ask that it immediately cease its unauthorized commercial use of Seahawks Trademarks. This includes, but is not limited to, (i) immediately removing (or blurring) Seahawks Trademarks from the ‘Game Day’ ad on all platforms (to include, but not limited to, television, YouTube, websites, social media, etc.) and (ii) refraining from further unauthorized commercial use of Seahawks Trademarks,” the email to the Smiley campaign demanded.
The problem with the outrage from the Seahawks is this is not a one-off incident. Political commentator Brandi Kruse noted a number of instances where candidates ran for office using the Seahawks logo in ads and other social media posts.
So how do you explain this from a Democratic candidate’s campaign page? @TarraSimmons5 has done AWESOME things with her life — but so has the Smiley family.
Are you a football team or a political organization? pic.twitter.com/ChJdd7RegA
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) October 1, 2022
In response, the Smiley campaign altered the “Gameday” ad.
But they are fighting Starbucks and the Seattle Times over cease and desist letters as well.
Tiffany Smiley, a Republican candidate for US Senate for Washington state, received cease & desist letters from @Starbucks & the @seattletimes for this political ad where she stands in front of a Starbucks & features headlines from the liberal newspaper. pic.twitter.com/Meo86tfco5
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) October 1, 2022
“Tiffany Smiley didn’t back down when she was bullied by federal bureaucrats working against her fight to help her husband Scotty become the first blind active-duty Army officer,” Kristian Hemphill, a campaign manager for Smiley, said in a statement. “Woke corporations thought they could help Patty Murray by bullying Tiffany with senseless legal threats. Their efforts have both failed and backfired. This campaign will continue to hold to account the failures of a three-decade incumbent and offer Washingtonians a path from crisis to hope, just as Tiffany did for Scotty and countless other injured veterans.”
Woke corporations are going to learn the same lesson that DC bureaucrats have. @SmileyForWA is not easily intimidated
Their efforts have backfired & we will continue to hold to account the failures of a 30 yr incumbent and offer WA a path to hope.https://t.co/dKv5rXqSrC
— Kristian Hemphill (@DaeHemphill) September 30, 2022
Murray’s campaign shot back in a statement to The Seattle Times, saying, “Just like Trump, MAGA Republican Tiffany Smiley apparently won’t miss an opportunity to attack Washington state — whether it’s local journalists, businesses, or the Seahawks.”
It should be noted that the polls are tightening in Washington and Smiley is within two points of her opponent. Well within the margin of error. The leftist legalese here whiffs of desperation.
New @trafalgar_group
#WASen #Poll (9/21-9/24) shows incumbent #Murray still holding small lead, but challenger #Smiley gaining. #wapol48.7% @MurrayCampaign
46.5% @SmileyForWA
4.8% UndSee Report: https://t.co/Vafee0lWPg pic.twitter.com/fu00kjizZR
— Robert C. Cahaly (@RobertCahaly) September 26, 2022
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