New York Rep. Mike Lawler acknowledged photos of him wearing blackface as Michael Jackson after they surfaced on Thursday, Oct. 3. The pictures were taken in 2006, when Lawler was in college.

New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler acknowledged that he darkened his face as part of a Michael Jackson Halloween costume, which he called an “homage,” after The New York Times reported Thursday that he wore blackface as a college student in 2006.

The images could be a stumbling block for Lawler in his close re-election race against former Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones, who is black, to rep the 17th Congressional District.