Photos of Swing District Republican In Blackface Published By The New York Times

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)

The New York Times obtained photographs of Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) wearing blackface while dressed as Michael Jackson for a Halloween party.

The images were taken in October 2006 when the 20-year-old Lawler dressed as the famous “King of Pop” at Manhattan College. The photograph included in the Times article shows Lawler wearing a black shirt with a red jacket while striking a Jackson dance pose. His face is noticeably darkened as well.

Lawler is currently running for re-election this November against Mondaire Jones , a Black former lawmaker, in a swing district.

The New York congressman did not dispute the photos’ authenticity and instead argued that the costume was “truly the sincerest form of flattery.” Blackface in the United States has deep roots to anti-Black racism dating back to the 1830s.

Lawler said the photos showcase “a genuine homage to my musical hero since I was a little kid trying to moonwalk through my mom’s kitchen.”

“The ugly practice of blackface was the furthest thing from my mind,” he added. “Let me be clear, this is not that.”

“I am a student of history and for anyone who takes offense to the photo, I am sorry,” Lawler concluded. “All you can do is live and learn.”

Per the Times , Lawler’s affinity for Jackson during his youth drove him to attend the star’s criminal trial in California:

In 2005, as a high school senior, Mr. Lawler flew from New York to California to attend parts of Jackson’s criminal trial. The pop star had been charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch; the case ended in acquittal.

J. Randy Taraborrelli, a Jackson biographer, helped get Mr. Lawler into the courtroom and recalled in his book that the young fan had been “so disgusted” by testimony against Jackson “that he couldn’t help but mutter something derogatory under his breath.” Mr. Lawler was removed from the courtroom, according to Mr. Taraborrelli’s biography, “Michael Jackson: The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story.”