Award-winning actor William Shatner blasted Texas Democrat Brandy Chambers for using a photograph of the two of them without his permission in a campaign letter. Chambers is running to unseat Republican Angie Che in the Texas House of Representatives.
“If you think a grown woman going to Comic-Con and getting geeked out when she sees Captain Kirk is not what you want in a leader, that’s fine, too,” the newsletter said, according to the Fresno Bee. “I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not for everybody.”
After being alerted to the photo on Twitter, Shatner responded directly to Chambers. “Hey @winemind17 using a convention picture in a political ad is NOT ALLOWED!! That implies endorsement which never will happen. Please remove my photo and destroy all copies of whatever this is immediately. Am I clear?”
Shatner’s tweet cc’d the Texas Ethics Commission and he then complained to the Texas Attorney general.
“@KenPaxtonTX does the @TXAG look into political brochures that use a person’s image as implied endorsements without permission,” Shatner asked, “This person took a convention photo with me & is now using it in her campaign ads as if I know her & endorsing her. I never gave permission for its use.”
Shatner then explained that he is not a political person, “Star Trek wasn’t political. I’m not political; I can’t even vote in the US. So to put a geocentric label on interstellar characters is silly.”
Using her campaign account, Chambers later apologized and made clear that Shatner never endorsed her.
“PUBLIC NOTICE: I used a photo that I paid for w/@WilliamShatner at a Comic-con in my newsletter talking about going to Comic-Cons. @WilliamShatner has NOT and WILL NOT endorse me. I apologize to him for the use of the image that I purchased.”
In his 2009 biography, Up Till Now, Shatner, a Canadian, explained why he keeps his political beliefs to himself.
“Throughout my career I’ve always tried to keep my philosophical and political beliefs to myself,” Shatner wrote. “Partly because as a Canadian citizen I’ve felt like a guest in America and, being polite, I didn’t feel it was my place to advocate loudly for my own beliefs.”
Shatner also wrote about his love for America and Americans.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.
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