'Horrified' Loews Hotels Cancels Josh Hawley Fundraiser After Capitol Attack
Loews Hotels on Saturday said it would not host a fundraiser for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), expressing horror at the Capitol siege and stating its opposition to “all who supported and incited the actions.”
The event — sponsored by Fighting for Missouri, a political action committee affiliated with Hawley’s reelection campaign — was scheduled for mid-February at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
The Loews statement didn’t specifically refer to Hawley, only to “the Feb. fundraiser”; it also did not mention when the company learned that the event would benefit the senator.
We are horrified and opposed to the events at the Capitol and all who supported and incited the actions. In light of those events and for the safety of our guests and team members, we have informed the host of the Feb. fundraiser that it will no longer be held at Loews Hotels.
— Loews Hotels (@Loews_Hotels) January 16, 2021
The right-wing senator has been the subject of sharp criticism for his incitement of the mob by relentlessly pitching President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of electoral fraud, as well as for his support of the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Hawley was photographed greeting those gathered outside the Capitol with a raised fist shortly before the attack.
From our Francis Chung, Sen. Josh Hawley greeting protesters in the east side of the Capitol before riots began. pic.twitter.com/I8DjBCDuoP
— Manuel Quinones (@ManuelQ) January 6, 2021
Hours after the riot, which left five people dead, Hawley stuck to his plan to challenge the Electoral College vote certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Hawley’s fellow senators and home state newspapers have since called on him to resign; donors are demanding refunds; lawyers are calling for him to be disbarred; and Simon & Schuster canceled his book deal, due to his express support of the siege.
Hawley on Saturday blasted the Loews move in a statement. “I will...