Missouri's Republican Senator Josh Hawley has had a troubled time following the US Capitol riot on January 6. Amid public criticism, now a hotel chain has canceled his fundraising event in Florida for his role in inciting the riot.
The fundraising event that was scheduled for February 12-15 in Florida was canceled by Loews Hotels after a liberal lawyer posted a flyer on Twitter, tagging the hotel chain. Referring to Hawley as a "traitor", the Florida attorney, Daniel Uhlfelder, asked the hotel chain why it was supporting the senator.
Loews Pulls Out
As per the flyer, obtained by Uhlfelder, Hawley-backed political action committee, Fighting for Missouri, had a "fun-filled, family-friendly Orlando weekend" fundraising event at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The tickets for the event were set between $1,000 to $5,000. The Super PAC had raised more than 270,000 for the senator in 2020.
However, following Uhlfelder's tweet, many began criticizing the hotel chain on Twitter for hosting the event. Soon, Loews responded saying it had pulled out of hosting the event, saying it was opposed to the riot and "all who supported and incited the actions".
"We are horrified and opposed to the events at the Capitol and all who supported and incited the actions. In light of those events and for the safety of our guests and team members, we have informed the host of the Feb. fundraiser that it will no longer be held at Loews Hotels," the hotel chain said in a tweet.
Hawley's Troubled times
Hawley was one of the few Republican senators who opposed Joe Biden's election certification by Congress on January 6. Despite the riots, he and his fellow Trump loyalists continued to object to the certification. He was criticized for supporting the objectors. But when a photograph emerged showing Hawley raising his fist in support of the pro-Trump protestors before Capitol riot events, he faced mounting criticism from his colleagues and public including Republican Senator Mitt Romney and former Senator John Danforth.
Since the riot, Hawley has had a book deal canceled by Simon & Schuster. The book titled, "The Tyranny of Big Tech," was supposed to be published in June but the publisher pulled out after Hawley's role in inciting the mob.
"We take seriously our larger public responsibility as citizens, and cannot support Senator Hawley after his role in what became a dangerous threat," the publisher said in a statement. Hawley later took to Twitter saying he would sue Simon & Schuster.
That's not it though. Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have supported investigation and charges to be brought forward against Hawley and his colleagues who supported the objection and in turn incited an insurrection.
His Democratic opponents in Missouri are also seeking revenge. Led by former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill from Missouri, a group of ex-staffers has launched a PAC named Just Oust Seditious Hacks (JOSH) dedicated to preventing Hawley from winning re-election or any future presidential run. Within a few hours on Friday (January 15), the group raised more than $15,000.
"Josh Hawley has no shame and put his own personal ambitions ahead of America. JOSH PAC will work to ensure that Hawley never wins another election," a source from the PAC told Politico.
Two days before the Capitol riot, Hawley falsely accused a small group of protesters of breaking into his home in Washington and threatening his wife and new-born child. He called them "Antifa scumbags". However, video recordings showed that they never broke into his house.
