Design Foundry, the designer of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) stage, responded to backlash over its stage design in a Tuesday evening statement reported by The Forward.
The main stage at CPAC came under fire for resembling the Othala rune, a symbol used by the Nazi party during World War II, according to The Forward. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has classified the Othala rune as a neo-Nazi hate symbol.
Design Foundry claimed it had “no idea that the design resembled any symbol, nor was there any intention to create something that did,” according to The Forward. The stage was designed to provide “the best use of space, given the constraints of the ballroom and social distancing requirements,” the company told The Forward.
Design Foundry is known for working with companies including MSNBC, Google and the Biden Cancer Summit, according to the National Pulse. Reporter Yashar Ali tweeted that the owner of Design Foundry is “very liberal and was so excited for Biden’s victory.”
1. I know Design Foundry because they handle design for many events in DC for companies like MSNBC & Target.
They oversaw the design for the Biden Cancer Summit in 2018.
The owner, Annie, is very liberal and was so excited for Biden’s victory.
Great work conspiracy theorists. https://t.co/XF51I7WkiG
— Yashar Ali ???? (@yashar) March 3, 2021
“An event design company thats coming up with a stage design does nothing to help CPAC or elevate its status in any way. What it does do is keep people in the event business employed during a pandemic which has destroyed businesses and jobs,” Ali added.
3. An event design company thats coming up with a stage design does nothing to help CPAC or elevate its status in any way.
What it does do is keep people in the event business employed during a pandemic which has destroyed businesses and jobs.
— Yashar Ali ???? (@yashar) March 3, 2021
Director of communications for the American Conservative Union (ACU) and CPAC Ian Walters said the ACU chose the design from several options because it was the most “workable,” according to The Forward. (RELATED: Watch The Best Of Trump’s CPAC Speech)
“ACU and CPAC have no interest in promoting antisemitism from our stage, whether it’s what happens on the stage or the design of the stage itself. It’s clear that the company we retained designed a stage that has become an unwelcome distraction. As a result, we will not be using that company’s services going forward at future events,” Walters continued.
CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp called the claims “outrageous and slanderous” in a tweet Saturday.
Stage design conspiracies are outrageous and slanderous. We have a long standing commitment to the Jewish community. Cancel culture extremists must address antisemitism within their own ranks. CPAC proudly stands with our Jewish allies, including those speaking from this stage.
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) February 27, 2021
“CPAC proudly stands with our Jewish allies, including those speaking from this stage,” he added.