Huckabee Wants Legal Fund To Pay For Unauthorized Use Of ‘Eye Of The Tiger’

This post has been updated.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) was sued in November for playing Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” at a rally, and now the former presidential candidate wants to set up a legal defense fund to help pay for the settlement of lawsuit.

Rude Music, a record company run by Survivor member Frank M. Sullivan III, sued Huckabee for copyright infringement after the Republican played the song at a rally supporting Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

A memo from staff at the Federal Election Commission shows that a lawyer for Huckabee’s presidential campaign in May requested permission to establish a legal fund to pay for attorney fees and part of the settlement in the lawsuit over “Eye of the Tiger.”

FEC attorneys have drafted two possible opinions for the commission. The first would allow the campaign to set up the legal defense fund. The second draft opinion would not let the Huckabee campaign to establish a legal defense fund and could eliminate the ability for future campaigns to establish legal defense funds. It’s not clear what the FEC will ultimately decide. The commission could also allow the Huckabee campaign to establish a legal defense fund for attorneys fees, but not permit the campaign to use the fund to help pay the settlement in the case.

Correction: This article originally stated that FEC attorneys wrote an opinion rejecting the Huckabee campaign’s request, however attorneys have drafted two opinions.

H/t Ken Vogel