Tom Petty Estate Drags Kari Lake For Using Anthem In Video

The estate of late rocker Tom Petty said it was “exploring all of our legal options” after failed Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake used his 1989 anthem “I Won’t Back Down” in a video this week.

“The Tom Petty estate and our partners were shocked to find out that Tom’s song ‘I Won’t Back Down’ was stolen and used without permission or a license to promote Kari Lake’s failed campaign,” the estate wrote on Twitter late Thursday.

“This is illegal,” it added. “We are exploring all of our legal options to stop this unauthorized use and to prohibit future misappropriations of Tom’s beloved anthem. Thank you to all of the fans who brought this to our attention and who help us protect his legacy every day.”

Former TV news anchor Lake lost the race for Arizona governor to Democratic rival Katie Hobbs. She has refused to concede. Instead, Lake has taken pages from Donald Trump’s playbook of lies by questioning the result and baselessly claiming voter fraud.

Trump endorsed Lake and she has been one of the most high-profile promoters of his 2020 election conspiracy theories.

The Tom Petty estate and our partners were shocked to find out that Tom’s song “I Won’t Back Down” was stolen and used without permission or a license to promote Kari Lake’s failed campaign. pic.twitter.com/DoT71whO43 — Tom Petty (@tompetty) November 18, 2022

The estate of Petty, who died of an accidental drug overdose in 2017 at age 66, released a similarly scathing response when then-President Trump used the same song during his underwhelming June 2020 return to the campaign trail in Tulsa, Oklahoma, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind,” the estate said.

“Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind,” it continued. “Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He likes to bring people together.”