Albuquerque social media accounts have been filling up with photos of homeless persons in the International District sporting bright yellow hoodies printed with “I ♥ Tim Keller” in large letters across the front, but no one is taking responsibility for the stunt.
Photos were first shared with City Desk on Wednesday of persons wearing the shirts on Cochiti Rd SE before Thanksgiving and many other versions have appeared online since.
Reached by City Desk over the weekend, mayoral candidate Darren White said he had seen some of the photos online but says his campaign is not responsible A review of campaign finance reports for groups registered to conduct election spending in the city showed no spending for clothing, though a federal judge recently ruled that some nonprofit groups engaged in electioneering no longer have to report their activities.
Online speculation pointed to several property owners in the area who have been critical of Keller’s homeless policies. Calls to each of them were not returned over the holiday weekend.
Keller, for his part, shared some of the photos online and called out those responsible for using unhoused persons as “political props.”
