Lawler was an avid fan of the late black entertainer and had donned blackface to resemble him in 2006 while attending Manhattan College in the Bronx, the Times reported. While it may seem like a sincere homage, a white man darkening his face to imitate a black man is reminiscent of racist practices in America’s past and is considered highly offensive.

In a statement from his re-election campaign following the article’s publication, the 38-year-old Rockland County Republican said that at the time the photos were taken, he was dressed for a Halloween party and was paying tribute to his boyhood hero.

“The ugly practice of blackface was the furthest thing from my mind,” Lawler said. “To be clear, this is not that. Rather, my costume was intended as the sincerest form of flattery, a true homage to one of my childhood idols ever since I was a little kid trying to run through my mother’s kitchen.”