Advertisements claiming Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is the "official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles" have been popping up on bus shelters in the city, but the team says they are fake.
"We are aware counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed," the Eagles posted Monday on X, formerly Twitter.
MORE: First debate between Kamala Harris, Donald Trump to be held at National Constitution Center
The ads show Harris wearing an Eagles helmet and holding a football and appear to have the official Eagles logo. They also include a URL to a page on the Eagles' website that has information about voting in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but does not highlight any particular candidate.
It is not known who is responsible for the ads.
At least six of the ads were spotted on bus shelters around the city, according to NBC10 — including at the intersections of 16th and Spring Garden streets, and 18th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Center City. One also was found at 34th and Walnut streets in University City, 6ABC reported.
The #Eagles are aware of this Kamala Harris political ad. The team says it's counterfeit and is working with their advertising partner to have it removed. pic.twitter.com/iW3bO25Glz
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 2, 2024
The bus shelters where the ads were displayed are owned by the Intersection media company, which said it did not have anything to do with them.
"We are aware that several of our bus shelters located in Philadelphia have been vandalized and that the paid advertising copy in each of those shelters has been replaced with unauthorized copy," Intersection said in a statement to 6ABC. "While our bus shelters have locks that typically prevent the installation of unauthorized copy by non-Intersection staff, occasionally people find a way to unlock the ad box and insert unauthorized copy."
A city spokesperson told NBC10 that the Harris campaign, SEPTA and the city government also were not responsible for the placement of the ads.
"This was not a digital breach; whomever is responsible for the illegally placed posters, broke into the securely covered shelter ad space and somehow put the posters in the space," the spokesperson said in a statement. "Intersection has advised the City's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) that they plan to conduct a full inventory tomorrow of all bus shelters, and remove any illegally posters. The City has a process to review all bus shelter ads but this, again, was not a digital ad."
The ads were expected to be removed by Tuesday morning, but some people took matters into their own hands Monday night. In a video posted to X by FOX29's Steve Keeley, an Eagles fan identified as "Joe from South Philly" was seen pasting the Eagles' statement over the ad at 34th and Walnut streets.
The counterfeit ads come about a week before Harris and Republican Donald Trump debate for the first time at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
