A New York Senate candidate, Aber Kawas, who has been backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has reportedly been issued a cease-and-desist letter by the New York Knicks for using the championship team’s logo as part of her campaign. The promotional stickers read, “I voted for Aber Kawas,” using the Knicks logo, with the team’s name replaced with “Kawas.”
Cease-and-Desist Letter
According to the New York Post, the Knicks demanded that the campaign “immediately remove all promotional materials incorporating Knicks Intellectual Property, including but not limited to the unauthorized Advertisements, and cease any further use of Knicks Intellectual Property.” The Knicks stated that neither the team nor the NBA Properties have authorized the campaign to use the Knicks’ intellectual property in any way, which could mislead the public into believing that the campaign is affiliated with or endorsed by the Knicks.
The Knicks and Mamdani have had a history of conflict, dating back to last year when Mamdani’s mayoral campaign also used the Knicks logo in a similar fashion. The Knicks made it clear that they were not endorsing anyone in the race, which Mamdani won. Recently, Knicks owner James Dolan and Mamdani had a public disagreement about Knicks watch parties during the team’s championship run.
Kawas, the Muslim daughter of illegal immigrants, is now the Democrat nominee for New York’s Senate District 12 and is also a socialist. She has been under fire for her comments on Muslim Americans and the 9/11 attacks.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.