Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/AP Images

New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who is in a tough re-election fight that will help determine control of the House of Representatives, wore blackface as part of a Michael Jackson Halloween costume while studying in New York Just published on Thursday. The photos, reportedly taken in October 2006, show Lawler wearing a jacket reminiscent of the pop superstar’s iconic jacket thriller outfit as she strikes one of Jackson’s signature poses. A source familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Lawler, then 20 and attending Manhattan College, borrowed bronzer from his classmates to make his skin visibly darker, as shown in the photos.

In a statement on JustLawler appeared to confirm that the photos were real, telling the outlet that the costume was “the sincerest form of flattery,” an extension of his lifelong appreciation for the musician. “The ugly practice of blackface was the furthest thing from my mind,” he said. “Let me be clear, this is not that.” Lawler continued, “I am a history major and I am sorry to anyone who finds the photo offensive.”

Lawler’s intense Michael Jackson fan base is documented. In 2023, the Daily Beast revealed that in April 2005, Jackson biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli helped an 18-year-old Lawler get into the courtroom for Jackson’s sexual abuse trial in Santa Barbara County, California. According to the Daily Beast, Taraborrelli tells the story in his 2009 book Michael Jackson: The magic, the madness, the whole story, He described Lawler as “an ardent Jackson admirer” who knew the details of the case even better than the biographer. According to Taraborrelli, during the testimony of the mother of one of the alleged victims, Lawler was “so disgusted” that he “couldn’t help but mutter something derogatory under his breath.” The outburst led to Lawler being removed from the courtroom.

The Just The story could hardly come at a worse time for the congressman, who is seeking a second term in the state’s 17th Congressional District, which covers Rockland County, in 2022 after his shock upset of former DCCC Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney. Lawler is currently in a tough race with his Democratic opponent Mondaire Jones, a black former representative who previously held the seat before deciding to run in a new district created by a controversial redistricting process. Cook’s Political ReportAssessing the political race, Lawler’s seat is currently listed as a toss-up, indicating a difficult path to re-election.