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Did the Philadelphia Eagles Really Endorse Kamala Harris?

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  September 03, 2024 9:45 AM

Last month, the Harris campaign was called out for trying to deceive voters by running a number of Google ads that—while linking to real news stories—had the headlines written by the campaign. While legal, the practice is about “confusion and deception,” Jane Kirtley, a media ethics professor at the University of Minnesota, told the Associated Press at the time. Now, another controversy involving political ads is brewing in Philadelphia. 

At least six fake political ads have been seen around town claiming Harris is the “official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles," though it's unclear who is responsible for them.

The ads show a sideview of a drawing of a person who is, presumably, Harris, holding a football and wearing an Eagles helmet along with the name, "Kamala" in big, bold letters.

The ads also link to Philadelphiaeagles.com/vote -- which is a real site that the team has set up to help provide nonpartisan information to allow people to know how to register to vote and learn more about upcoming elections.

However, there is no listing on that site for any "official candidate." […]

[T]he team began taking them down Monday and hopes to have them all removed by Tuesday morning. One of the ads in the city's University City neighborhood was covered up by copies of the Philadelphia Eagles statement saying that the ads are counterfeit. [...]

Intersection Media, the New York-based company which owns the bus shelters where the ads were spotted, also released a statement.

"We are aware that several of our bus shelters located in Philadelphia have been vandalized and that the paid advertising copy in each of those shelters has been replaced with unauthorized copy," a spokesperson wrote. "While our bus shelters have locks that typically prevent the installation of unauthorized copy by non-Intersection staff, occasionally people find a way to unlock the ad box and insert unauthorized copy. The unauthorized copy in this case implies an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris by the Philadelphia Eagles. We note that the Eagles and Intersection had nothing to do with the creation or posting of this unauthorized copy and Intersection staff will be removing the ads as soon as possible."

A city spokesperson also released a statement in response to the ads, calling them "illegally placed."

"These were not digital ads placed by the Harris campaign, the Philadelphia EAGLES, SEPTA, The City of Philadelphia or the media agency, Intersection, that handles the transit ad space," the spokesperson wrote. "This was not a digital breach; whomever is responsible for the illegally placed posters, broke into the securely covered shelter ad space and somehow put the posters in the space. Intersection has advised the City’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) that they plan to conduct a full inventory tomorrow of all bus shelters, and remove any illegally posters. The City has a process to review all bus shelter ads but this, again, was not a digital ad." (NBC Philadelphia)

The Philadelphia Eagles also responded to the story on social media. 

The Harris campaign had "no comment" when asked about the fake political ads.