The father of one of the young girls who performed a Donald Trump-themed song at a Florida rally plans to sue the GOP presidential nominee.
Jeff Popick, creator of musical act USA Freedom Kids and the father of one of the group members, told The Washington Post that he plans to file a lawsuit against the Trump campaign for “violating its agreement with the group.”
{mosads}The video of the group’s performance became a viral sensation after its three girls appeared at a January rally in Pensacola, Fla., in red, white and blue outfits lip-syncing to a version of “Over There” that described Trump’s accomplishments.
“I’m doing this because I think they have to do the right thing,” Popick said to the Post about his plans to file a suit. “And if this means having to go through the court system to enforce them doing the right thing, then that’s what I have to do. I’m not looking to do battle with the Trump campaign, but I have to show my girls that this is the right thing.”
Popick explained to the Post that his agreement with the campaign was mostly verbal, and he never had a written contract. He spoke with various campaign officials, including former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, and agreed that the Freedom Kids would be paid $2,500 for the Pensacola performance. The campaign then offered to set up a table at the rally where they could sell albums. But no such table was ever set up.
The girls were also invited to perform at Trump’s impromptu event for veterans in January that was planned in lieu of a Fox News debate. But after traveling to Iowa, the Freedom Kids did not get a chance to perform.
“We are owed compensation or, as the agreement is, a performance. That’s what the agreement was,” Popick said. “In lieu of compensation, in lieu of monetary compensation, that we would have this performance. It was largely a verbal contract, but a contract nonetheless and on two different occasions.”
He expects to file the lawsuit within a few weeks.
Popick said he had also requested a chance for the kids to perform at the Republican National Convention, though that request also did not come to fruition.