Mike Huckabee resigns from CMA Foundation board amid controversy

Less than one day after his appointment was announced, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee resigned Thursday from the CMA Foundation board of directors after criticism from multiple members of the country music industry.

"I genuinely regret that some in the industry were so outraged by my appointment that they bullied the CMA and the Foundation with economic threats and vowed to withhold support for the programs for students if I remained," Huckabee wrote in his letter of resignation. "I’m somewhat flattered to be of such consequence when all I thought I was doing was voluntarily serving on a non-profit board without pay in order to (continue) my decades of advocacy for the arts and especially music."

More: Read: Mike Huckabee's CMA Foundation resignation letter

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The announcement follows pointed criticism from members of the country music industry, as well as fans — much of it stemming from Huckabee's stance on LGBT issues.

Jason Owen, co-president of Monument Records and owner at Sandbox Entertainment, called the appointment a "grossly offensive decision" in an email to the association's CEO Sarah Trahern and CMA Foundation executive Tiffany Kerns.

Owen wrote that due to Huckabee’s election to the CMA Foundation’s board, neither his companies nor anyone they represent would continue to support the foundation.

Owen and his husband, Sam, are fathers to a young son and are expecting twins. Owen said that Huckabee’s stance on the LGBT community “made it clear my family is not welcome in his America.”

“The CMA has opened their arms to him, making him feel welcome and relevant,” wrote Owen, who represents artists including Little Big Town, Faith Hill and Midland.

“Huckabee speaks of the sort of things that would suggest my family is morally beneath his and uses language that has a profoundly negative impact upon young people all across this country," he added. "Not to mention how harmful and damaging his deep involvement with the NRA is. What a shameful choice.”

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The CMA Foundation is the charitable arm of the Country Music Association, devoted to growing and supporting music education programs across the country. Its board consists of 12 members.

Sugarland’s Kristian Bush visited Dodson Elementary School in Hermitage last week with the CMA Foundation. His manager, Whitney Pastorek, who is a CMA member, penned an email to CMA executives questioning how many children in the school’s diverse population Huckabee would choose to welcome.

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“What a terrible disappointment to see (the CMA Foundation’s) mission clouded by the decision to align with someone who so frequently engages in the language of racism, sexism, and bigotry,” Pastorek wrote. “While Gov. Huckabee's tenure in Arkansas may have resulted in valuable education reform over a decade ago, I find his choice to spend the past ten years profiting off messages of exclusion and hatred (not to mention the gun lobby) to be disqualifying.”

Huckabee’s inclusion on the board had sparked hundreds of comments from outraged fans on social media, many of which were threatening to boycott the CMA, the CMA Music Festival and in some cases country music as a whole.

Huckabee could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Longtime country music executive and CMA board member Joe Galante explained in a statement that Huckabee was elected to the position because the CMA Foundation could benefit from the knowledge gained during Huckabee’s extensive political career.

“Gov. Huckabee led an impressive administration while serving the state of Arkansas and his policy experience with education reform is something we are fortunate to be able to learn from,” Galante said.

Huckabee raised his profile in the Nashville area in recent months. He tapes his talk show "Huckabee" just outside of town. "Huckabee" airs on TBN and includes news commentary along with religious, political and musical guests.

The two-time Republican presidential candidate also has held strong, polarizing views on education, including publicly calling for the end of the Department of Education as well as Common Core.

In 2010 he made several controversial statements relating to same-sex marriage and adoption. The Associated Press reported he compared legalizing same-sex marriage to legalizing incest, polygamy and drug use, and, while explaining his opposition to gay couples adopting children, stated "children are not puppies."

To date, the CMA Foundation, a nonprofit, has invested over $20 million in 84 programs across the national public school system, after-school programs, summer camps and through community outreach organizations.

This week's episode comes four months after the association came under fire for its media guidelines at the annual CMA Awards. The CMA had previously asked media outlets to avoid questions about the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas, gun rights or political affiliations at the awards show, or risk losing their credentials and being escorted by security off the premises.

After a backlash that included criticism from awards show co-host Brad Paisley, the CMA issued an apology and removed the restrictions ahead of the show.