Local officials threaten Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort with $15,000 fines after violating mask mandate at New Year's Eve party
Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
- Palm Beach County officials warned this week that President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort could face $15,000 penalties over mask-mandate violations.
- The officials point to video evidence at a New Year's Eve party, in which many guests, including Donald Trump Jr., are filmed maskless.
- The Florida county currently requires all people to wear masks when in public.
- Trump and his family have frequently flouted public health guidelines throughout the pandemic.
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Palm Beach County officials warned this week that President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort could be subject to $15,000 fines for failing to follow the countywide mask mandate.
The local authorities sent a letter on Tuesday to Mar-a-Lago's Executive Vice President Bernd Lembcke that the club must immediately adhere to facial-covering requirements or it will incur penalties "of up to $15,000 per violation."
The letter, obtained by local station NBC-affiliate WPTV, points to video evidence of a lavish New Year's Eve party hosted at the resort, in which several guests, including the president's son Donald Trump Jr., were filmed in closely-packed crowds and maskless.
The officials write that "there was a breakdown in enforcement of the mask orders that led to almost the entire room of guests being without masks during the later evening activities."
The club did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
The president usually attends the annual celebration every year, though abruptly cancelled his plans this time without explanation.
Trump, his family and his aides have often flouted public health guidelines throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The White House hosted at least two events last year that resulted in clusters of confirmed COVID-19 cases, including the president testing positive himself.
Palm Beach County has a mandate in effect that requires all people to wear masks whenever in public. Florida has been a COVID-19 hotspot during the public health crisis, with over 1.5 million cases and 23,612 deaths reported as of Friday, according to the New York Times.
State legislator Rep. Omari Hardy, a Democrat, later criticized the warning to Mar-a-Lago as insufficient.
"County officials agree that Mar-a-Lago violated our mask order, but they're not trying to fine the business or shut it down even temporarily," he said. "This is disappointing. It sends a message that you can get away with violating our mask order. Not good."
Trump is reportedly expected to move to Florida permanently after he leaves office next week.
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