The painting by Missouri high school student David Pulphus that outraged law enforcement groups. Photo courtesy Office of Lacy Clay.
The painting by Missouri high school student David Pulphus that outraged law enforcement groups. Photo courtesy Office of Rep. William Lacy Clay.

A painting in a U.S. Capitol tunnel that offended police and bloggers and led Rep. Duncan Hunter to remove it is going back up, according to news reports.

And the East County Republican doesn’t plan to take it down again.

“There’s enough attention on the issue now,” Hunter spokesman Joe Kasper told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “The artist expressed himself, as did [Missouri Democratic Rep. William Lacy] Clay for giving the artwork his approval. And Hunter expressed himself, by taking it down and returning it.

“At least for a few days, America’s police officers and law enforcement were able to take satisfaction in knowing they were no longer being openly insulted within the walls of the U.S. Capitol.”

Clay plans to restore the artwork to the Cannon House Office Building tunnel “in supporting artistic expression and decorum and against censorship,” according to a Politico report. The painting by a high school student from Clay’s district was inspired by the 2014 events in Ferguson, MO.

The U-T said Clay’s press secretary confirmed that the painting would be reinstalled, but said the information printed by Politico had been leaked prematurely.

Details about the Tuesday reinstallation were not immediately made public because of security reasons, he told the paper.

According to The Washington Post, Clay has met with Capitol Police to discuss pressing  charges against Hunter.

But Hunter was hailed for his act.