The City of Henderson has fined Xtreme Manufacturing, the company that hosted a rally for President Donald Trump's reelection campaign on Sunday, $3,000 citing crowd size, lack of face coverings, and lack of social distancing amid the pandemic as the reason.
Jeremy Chen reports.
THE CITY OF HENDERSON FININGTHE COMPANY THAT HOSTED THEEVENT.THE COMPANY'S OWNER RESPONDINGTONIGHT-- SAYING HE'S SIMPLYEXERCISING HIS FIRST AMENDEMENTRIGHTS.13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER JEREMYCHEN IS LIVE NEAR THE A-HERNHOTEL WITH MORE ON THE CITATIONTHE OWNER WAS GIVEN.DON AHERNTHE OWNER OF XTREMEMANUFACTURING MADE SOME VERYSHORT STATEMENTS.THE ISSUELAST NIGHT'S TRUMPRALLY WAS HELD AT THE COMPANY'SASSEMBLY BUILDING IN HENDERSON.TRUMP CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS TELLME THERE WERE ABOUT 5,000PEOPLE INSIDE THE BUILDING WITHA FEW MORE THOUSAND OUTSIDE.SEATING ARRANGEMENTS FAILING TOALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING-AND AN EVENT CAUSING MORE THAN50 PEOPLE TO GATHER.THOSE ARE JUST TWO OF THE SIXVIOLATIONS DOCUMENTED BYHENDERSON CITY COMPLIANCEOFFICIALS DURING PRESIDENTTRUMP'S RALLY ON SUNDAY EVENINGAT XTREME MANUFACTURING." YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT A JOBTO DO.THEY MAY BE BEING DIRECTED, SOWE RESPECT EVERYBODY'SPOSITION." OWNER DON AHERNREACTING TO THE CITATION ANDFINE GIVEN BY THE CITY.THE SIX VIOLATIONS TOTALINGTHREE THOUSAND DOLLARS- INDEFIANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTHORDERS.AHERN ARGUES HIS EVENT WAS NODIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE GATHERINGAT POOLS, GAMING TABLES, OR FORTHE RECENT PROTESTS IN THEVALLEY- WHILE REITERATING THEFIRST AMENDMENT." MY GOAL WAS TO CONTINUE THEGREAT AMERICAN TRADITION OF THERIGHT TO ASSEMBLE." THE TRUMPCAMPAIGN SAYS AT THE RALLY-EVERYONE WASTEMPERATURE-CHECKED AT THEENTRANCE BEFORE GOING INSIDE-AND MASKS WERE RECCOMENDED BUTNOT REQUIRED.AHERN SO FAR SAYING HE HAS NOREGRETS ABOUT HOSTING THEEVENT- TO SUPPORT PRESIDENTTRUMP." I BELIEVE IT IS MY PATRIOTICDUTY TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOROUR COUNTRY."AHERN HAS 30 DAYS TO EITHERDISPUTE THE FINE OR PAY ITOUTRIGHT TO THE CITYTHE THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR FINEISN'T EXPECTED TO IMPACT THEBOTTOM-LINE FOR AHERN.HIS BUSINESS MAKES MORE THAN 50MILLIONDOLLARS IN ANNUAL REVENUE BASEDON NUMBERS FROM DUN ANDBRADSTREETA COMPANY THATPROVIDES ANALYTICS FORBUSINESSES.JEREMY CHEN 13 ACTION NEWSWE ARE STILL DEALING WITHSMOKE....
