BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - Delta Air Lines says it’s investigating after a Democratic campaign consultant tweeted a picture of U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker not wearing a mask on a flight.
Matt Harringer told the Sun Herald that he took the picture Thursday on a flight to Jackson, where his company is producing media for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy.
“I’ve seen enough Republican senators test positive to tweet this photo,” Harringer posted on Twitter Friday night. ”Senator Wicker - because you refused to wear a mask on our Delta flight last night, please let your fellow passengers know your status once you’ve been tested.”
Harringer was referring to other senators who have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days along with President Donald Trump.
Delta requires passengers to wear a mask on its flights except while eating, and the airline responded to Harringer that it was looking into his photo.
A spokesperson for the Mississippi Republican said Wicker lowered his face mask to eat a snack, and he forgot to put it back up.
“When he was reminded by a flight attendant, he put the mask back up,” Rick VanMeter said in a statement. “He did not attend any recent events at the White House and has not been in contact with any of the individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.”
But three time-stamped photos from Harringer show Wicker on the plane with his mask under his chin at 8:37 p.m., 9:27 p.m. and 9:46 p.m., which Harringer said was before takeoff, during the flight and just before landing.
When Harringer confronted the senator as he got off the plane, Wicker asked why he had not said something sooner, Harringer said.
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