Free Republic

Detroit police have issued an arrest warrant for the artist who created the famous “Hope” poster in support of President Obama during the 2008 election, it was revealed Wednesday. The Detroit Free Press reported that Shepard Fairey faces two felony counts of malicious destruction of property. The warrant was filed Friday. Police claim that Fairey caused about $9,000 in damage while he was in Detroit to complete a commissioned mural. The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail, as well as fines that could exceed $10,000. …

The street artist behind the iconic “Hope” poster of then-candidate Barack Obama says the president has let him down. In an interview with Esquire, Shepard Fairey said President Obama has not lived up to the expectations of the image that captured the verve behind Obama’s 2008 run. In fact, Fairey said, he’s “not even close.” “Obama has had a really tough time, but there have been a lot of things that he’s compromised on that I never would have expected. I mean, drones and domestic spying are the last things I would have thought [he’d support],” he told Esquire.

BOSTON -- A pre-trial hearing is scheduled in Boston for the street artist who created the "Hope" poster of President Barack Obama. But Shepard Fairey is not required to appear for Thursday's hearing in Brighton District Court. The 39-year-old Los Angeles resident has pleaded not guilty to a number counts of vandalism and faces up to three years in jail. Boston police accuse Fairey of vandalizing city property, including a Massachusetts Turnpike Authority building earlier this year.