Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) may have ended his presidential run months ago, but he's still paying off the costs of the campaign — thanks, in part, to his music choice for one of his rallies. CNN reported Monday that the failed presidential candidate was slapped with a $25,000 payment by the band Survivor for playing its "Eye of the Tiger" without permission at a rally Huckabee held last year for Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
Huckabee initially tried to defend his use of the song by saying the event was religious in nature, CNN reports:
In court, Huckabee argued that the anti-gay rights rally was a "religious assembly ... signifying joy and praise at the release of Mrs. Davis" from jail. A religious event would classify the act of playing the song as "noncommercial" and allow him to cite "fair use" — letting him play part of the song without paying for it. [CNN]
However, Huckabee ended up agreeing to a confidential settlement out of court with the company Rude Music, which is owned by one of the song's cowriters.
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The former governor's federal election records filed June 20 indicate that he paid half of the $25,000 in May, listed as an "itemized disbursement." The remaining half was listed as "debts and obligations."
Huckabee has yet to say whether the "thrill of the fight" was worth that chunk of change.
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