Nevada company that hosted indoor Trump rally fined $3,000
Owner says it is his 'patriotic duty to do what is right for our country'
The city of Henderson, Nev., has issued a $3,000 fine to a local manufacturing company for hosting a Trump 2020 rally on Sunday in violation of state coronavirus safety guidelines.
Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak extended a statewide rule — Directive 021, Section 10 — in July limiting social gatherings to no more than 50 people.
"The City of Henderson advised Xtreme Manufacturing that an event planned for Sept. 13 at their facility must comply with the governor’s COVID-19 emergency directives to not gather in groups larger than 50 people, require the use of face coverings and practice social distancing," Kathleen Richards, the city's senior public information officer, told FOX Business in a statement.
President Trump arrives to speak at a rally at Xtreme Manufacturing, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Richards added that during the rally, "a compliance officer observed six violations of the directives and the City’s Business Operations Division has issued a Business License Notice of Violation to Xtreme Manufacturing and assessed a penalty of $3,000."
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Xtreme has 30 days to respond to or dispute the violation. The manufacturing company did not immediately respond to an inquiry from FOX Business.
Xtreme owner Dan Ahern said in a Monday statement that he is a "proud American," who believes it is his "patriotic duty to do what is right for our country, and what is right is supporting our great President, Donald J. Trump."
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"The decisions we make and actions we take are always with specific goals in mind. My goal was to continue the great American traditions of the right to assemble and to free speech, which is no different than the thousands that are allowed to assemble at gaming tables, mask-less pool parties, and protests across the state," Ahern said.
Supporters cheer as President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Xtreme Manufacturing, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Nevada has recorded over 74,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 1,500 deaths.
"The City of Henderson would like to thank the businesses and residents who have followed the state guidelines to stay safe and healthy so that we can reopen all businesses and get people back to work," Richards said.
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Ahern also owns the Ahern Hotel, formerly the Lucky Dragon, in Las Vegas. The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a $10,000 fine against the Ahern in August for hosting a Trump rally in violation of COVID-19 rules, FOX 5 reported.
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"I was deeply disheartened and dismayed to see the callous and dangerous behavior displayed last night in Las Vegas at a campaign event for President Trump," Sisolak tweeted on Aug. 7. "I am equally dismayed that the campaign and business defied the State of Nevada emergency directive which limits public gatherings to 50 people or fewer."
The hotel sued the state and City of Las Vegas in late August over its 50-person gathering restrictions, saying there is "no rational basis" for a business like a hotel or convention center to limit capacity to that many people, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.