Florida Democrat Calls for Mar-a-Lago to Be Shut Down over Maskless New Year’s Eve Celebration

PALM BEACH, FL - JANUARY 11: President Donald Trump's beach front Mar-a-Lago resort is see
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Florida state Rep. Omari Hardy (D) is calling on Palm Beach County officials to shut down  President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort due to alleged mask mandate violations.

“Hardy, a Democrat representing District 88, wrote to Assistant County Administrator of Palm Beach County Todd Bonlarron regarding an online video showing maskless partygoers and entertainers at a New Year’s celebration at Mar-a-Lago,” WPBF reported Saturday.

In a tweet Friday, Hardy shared the video reportedly showing the party at the resort, writing, “Mar-a-Lago is a club. A club is a business. Businesses must abide by Palm Beach County’s mask order, or be fined or even shut down”:

“We knew that Trump was hosting a New Year’s party. I’ll be reaching out to folks at @pbcgov to ask why we weren’t ready to enforce the mandate here,” he continued.

In a subsequent post, Hardy shared an email he sent to the Assistant County Administrator, tweeting, “We can’t have a mandate that we enforce on all business owners except for the President”:

“Fairness dictates that we treat the President and his business just as we would treat anyone else,” Hardy added.

Palm Beach County officials recently extended their county wide mask mandate through January 20, according to WPBF:

“Considering the most current data on COVID-19 [coronavirus] spread in Palm Beach County, Southeast Florida, and the entire State of Florida, the CDC recommendations on wearing of facial coverings, and the safe reopening of additional businesses and public schools, the County Administrator has determined that it is necessary and appropriate to extend Emergency Order Number 2020-012 for an additional thirty days,” read a statement from county officials.

In November, several Florida mayors urged Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to issue a “mandatory mask mandate” due to concerns over a rise in cases of the coronavirus, Breitbart News reported at the time.

“St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, a Democrat, is among mayors urging DeSantis to take action as other blue state governors impose drastic restrictions, including limits on gatherings in private homes,” the article read.

However, the governor later extended an order blocking local governments from enforcing the mandates.

DeSantis, who said that Florida will ‘never do any of these lockdowns again,’ extended the order he issued in September, which lifted key restrictions in the state and suspended fines for breaking local protocols in relation to mask-wearing,” Breitbart News reported.

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