The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:21 AM
Democratic Congressman Taking Heat For Painting In California Office Showing Statue Of Liberty As Muslim
We the People Rising, a conservative-leaning activist group, was among the first to object to the painting in Rep. Lou Correa’s district office in Santa Ana, Calif., arguing it violates the separation of church and state.
The group, which advocates for tougher immigration laws, has asked Correa to remove the painting, which is a finalist in the Congress’ annual student art competition.
Palin entered the debate Monday with a tweet about the controversy.
"Statue of Liberty” Painting Found In Congressman's Office, Then America Spots Something Unusual,” Palin said in the tweet that included a retweet on the issue from the Young Conservatives group.
Correa, a first-term congressman, has no plans to remove the painting, saying the Office of Legislative Counsel sees no legal issues.
“You take it in the context of a lady, probably a Muslim American -- with all that’s going on, she’s a proud American,” Correa told The Orange County Register, which first reported the story.
