As Twitchy reported, Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) returned to his office Monday to find that Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) had taken down a high schooler’s painting depicting law enforcement officers as pigs from its place in the Capitol complex and placed it in Clay’s office.
Clay accused Hunter of theft and told reporters he’d be rehanging the paining Tuesday morning, as well as filing a complaint with Capitol Police.
Clay did rehang the painting Tuesday morning, although the police explained that, since the artwork was loaned to the Capitol and never left the Capitol, charges of theft didn’t apply.
Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo) put the cops-as-pigs painting back on the wall in the Cannon Tunnel pic.twitter.com/hN7tiXX0ek
— Cristina Marcos (@cimarcos) January 10, 2017
Rep. Clay: "This is really not about a student art competition anymore. This is about protecting the Constitution."
— Cristina Marcos (@cimarcos) January 10, 2017
.@LacyClayMO1: "This is really not about a student art competition anymore. It's about defending the Constitution." https://t.co/zc7j5sOiTm pic.twitter.com/xSOdFmFJMp
— POLITICO (@politico) January 10, 2017
Fox is told USCP can't probe removed art because it is lent to Congress & never left Capitol complex. If it did, they may have a theft
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
And … it’s gone again.
#Breaking Police/pigs art on CapHill on removed again after Cong Blk Caucus rehangs it. Hunter says he didn't do it pic.twitter.com/KgFEci4Oco
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
After the police let Hunter off the hook for stealing the artwork, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) decided it was his turn to take the painting down and return it to Clay’s office.
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Rep Wm Lacy Clay says CO Rep Lamborn removed art a 2nd time & brought it to his office. Clay says he has now rehung painting again
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
Per RepClay: RepLamborn took the painting down and returned it to Clay's office – saying it didn't belong in Capitol. Clay re-re-hung it.
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 10, 2017
Rep Lamborn on art: I decided to continue the protest..& I hope that permanent action is taken to remove this brazen attack on (police)
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
Permanent action will have to wait; the painting wasn’t in Clay’s office for long before it was returned to its place in the Cannon Tunnel.
Shortly after Rep. Clay put back the cops painting this am, Rep. Lamborn (R-CO) took it down again! Now back in place pic.twitter.com/TXCSEaMZCP
— Cristina Marcos (@cimarcos) January 10, 2017
Rep. Lacy rehanging controversial police photo in Capitol. Again. Said Doug Lamborn took it down this time @AlexGangitano pic.twitter.com/bTc4pcV5kZ
— Rema Rahman (@remawriter) January 10, 2017
Clay rehanging art for 2nd time: If they have an objection they should go thru the procedure & get it removed. Not arbitrarily (remove it)
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
When Rep Lamborn dropped off art in Rep Clay's office, Clay says Lamborn told him “it doesn’t belong here”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
Laborn says he removed pigs/police painting because he "could not, in good conscience, continue to walk by a painting" disrepecting police
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
To review:
-Painting went up in June
-Hunter takes it down on 1/6
-Clay rehangs at 10 am
-Lamborn takes it down
-Clay puts it back up pic.twitter.com/HZ5qWP3Vpq
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) January 10, 2017
Congressional Black Caucus Chair Cedric Richmond told The Hill’s Cristina Marcos that some ass-kicking might be called for if people keep removing the painting.
I ask CBC Chair Richmond if cops painting will need 24 hr security. "No. We might just have to kick somebody's ass and
stop them, though."— Cristina Marcos (@cimarcos) January 10, 2017
This calls for a beer summit https://t.co/hLvMzRUssk
— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) January 10, 2017
Even though we disagree, we're still friends @LacyClayMO1 pic.twitter.com/rzID8j5ZHm
— Rep. Duncan Hunter (@Rep_Hunter) January 10, 2017
* * *
Update:
does this painting have a Twitter handle yet, so it can update us on whether it is up or down at any given moment? https://t.co/Ae5ngEQWbw
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) January 10, 2017
The cops-as-pigs painting is currently: DOWN.
BREAKING: The "police as pigs" painting is down … again. This time taken by Rep @DanaRohrabacher who will take to Rep @LacyClayMO1
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 10, 2017
Dana Rohrabacher and Brian Babin are taking the painting down again and bringing it to Clays office pic.twitter.com/d83Mj858bG
— AlexGangitano (@AlexGangitano) January 10, 2017
More republicans in on the action. Rohrabacher and babin remove the painting. I was just going to get a coffee! pic.twitter.com/CivaMHmNx7
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 10, 2017
* * *
Update:
The cops-as-pigs painting is currently: UP.
And the painting is back up pic.twitter.com/dPokI7rZlt
— Alex Moe (@AlexNBCNews) January 10, 2017
And, it's back up. Rep Clay rehangs controversial pigs/police art for 3rd time today. pic.twitter.com/Rp5C0YU2t6
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
Grab a photo of yourself with the painting before it’s gone again.
Staffers now getting pictures in front of the painting. pic.twitter.com/OryqhjTInk
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) January 10, 2017
Editor’s note: This post was updated to correct a typo.
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