Florida lawmaker urges Mar-a-Lago shutdown, citing video of maskless New Year’s Eve party

Aric Chokey, South Florida Sun Sentinel

A member of Florida’s House of Representatives is asking Palm Beach County to shut down President Trump’s private club after citing a video circulating on social media showing dozens of people at a New Year’s Eve party without masks.

State Rep. Omari Hardy, D-West Palm Beach, sent a letter to the county’s assistant administrator Saturday highlighting the video and calling for Mar-a-Lago to be fined and closed.

The video in question shows dozens of people at a party without masks on as rapper Vanilla Ice performed on stage. Another video posted by Donald Trump Jr. on Facebook also showed the president’s son surrounded by people dancing and not wearing masks.

“Mar-a-Lago is a club. A club is a business. Businesses must comply with Palm Beach County’s mask order,” Hardy wrote in his letter.

Hardy said the event had the potential to be a “super-spreader” and that the resort should not be allowed to curtail the state’s mask mandate.

As cases and deaths from COVID-19 continue to rise in Florida, Palm Beach County has upheld its mask requirement for businesses and public spaces. The measure was most recently extended until Jan. 20.

“I recognize that the President is a powerful person and that his business, Mar-a-Lago, is a daunting target for enforcement,” Omari wrote. “But as far as I know, the law still applies to the President and to his businesses.”

Among others in attendance were the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and two other Trump adult children, Tiffany and Eric, according to CNN.

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