Lang
10/22/24
The Mariannette Miller-Meeks campaign has filed a complaint with the University of Iowa over an alleged trademark violation because her 1st Congressional District opponent, Christina Bohannan, can be seen wearing a black shirt with the gold word “Iowa” on it in one of her campaign commercials.
The letter, sent by Miller-Meeks’ lawyer to UI Vice President for Legal Affairs James D. Jorgensen, claims Bohannan wearing the shirt “raises serious concerns that it is misusing a University’s trademark.” It goes on to note the Bohannan for Congress campaign does not appear on the list of approved vendors under the University’s Trademark Licensing Program.
The Miller-Meeks campaign also claims Bohannan is breaking university rules about employees representing the UI while endorsing a political candidate. Bohannan is a UI law professor.
The Miller-Meeks campaign said in a letter to the media that Bohannan wearing the shirt is “unethical, if not illegal”, as well as “disappointing and shameful”.
The university has not released an official comment.