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Gov. Gavin Newsom faces backlash over attending dinner party

November 14, 2020

Gov. Gavin Newsom

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

California Gov. Gavin Newsom allegedly broke one of his own coronavirus guidelines by attending a posh dinner party held in celebration of the 50th birthday of a lobbyist who is one of his advisers. [SF Chronicle]

On Oct. 9, the state Department of Public Health issued guidelines allowing small private gatherings. The guidelines limit gatherings to a maximum of three households, and they must be held outside.

Then on Nov. 6, Newsom attended the dinner party of Jason Kinney, a longtime friend and adviser to the governor, who is also a partner at the lobbying firm Axiom Advisors. The party was held at French Laundry, a pricey restaurant in Napa County.

At least 12 people attended the dinner party. The governor attended along with his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Earlier this week, Newsom cited private gatherings that bring together multiple households and involve people taking off theirs masks as a driving factor of the increase in new coronavirus cases in California.

After facing backlash for attending Kinney’s dinner party, Newsom acknowledged he should not have gone to the event.

“While our family followed the restaurant’s health protocols and took safety precautions, we should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner,” Newsom said in a statement.

Nathan Click, communications director for Newsom, said the governor and his wife paid for their own meals at the party. Initially, Click defended Newsom’s attendance at the event by arguing restaurants are only required to limit the number of patrons at a single table.


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Sorry Gav, admitting fault after you’re caught does not make it ok. Newsom doesn’t seem to have any sensitivity to the fact that, while many Californians can’t feed their families or pay their bills because he shut them down, he’s feasting with his pals at an establishment with plates starting at $350 and up per person. But surely there was no singing, shouting or chanting…..how narcissistic can he be?!?!?


2

He decrees how we should live then does what he wants. Hypocrisy and arrogance were the appetizers for this dinner.


27

And yet people still vote him into office, he is laughing about this.


9

While going dinner may or may not be a huge problem, it’s the fact that an increasingly overbearing Democrat party (re: GavGru) continues to try and force a life on people that they themselves want nothing to do with. Whether it’s covid, education of our kids, or the spectacular mountainous red tape boondoggle of government run health care. And while I hate the fact that we’ve turned into a society of paparazzis,the fact that the thought didn’t even occur to him that someone might notice says something. Wasn’t he the guy that told people working up there to replace your mask between bites???? My God…..


29

While this was definitely a mistake, the governor has done a good job directing the state’s response to the virus. Consider that Texas, with 10 million fewer citizens, has 500,000 more cases than California and 2,000 more deaths. This is despite the fact that the virus reached California at least a month before it got to Texas.


-56

This guy is what’s wrong with California.


38

Of course, he’s related to Aunt (sneaking into a hair salon) Pelosi, the apple doesn’t fall far from the oligarch tree!!!


51

I call BS on the whole subject. How dare a government dictate how our family gatherings should be held and then party hardy with thousands of our tax dollars. Why are Californians allowing this dictator to keep on with the unconstitutional policies?


46

If true, thousands of our tax dollars for Newsom’s party is a drop in the bucket compared to the $142 million that Trump’s golf games have cost American taxpayers (see trumpgolfcount.com) Just want to make sure we are making a fair comparison here.


-41

Do what I say not what I do…


39

it’s the liberal way


28

“a lobbyist who is one of his advisors” ? What a steaming pile this guy is.


43