Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has admitted it was probably not the best idea for him and his wife to join a large dinner party at one of the world’s finest restaurants while he is discouraging the citizens of his state from gathering with folks outside their own households during the upcoming holiday season.
The San Francisco Chronicle first reported that Newsom and his wife, first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, attended a recent dinner with a dozen people, involving “more households than California advises,” at the French Laundry — known as one of the most exclusive restaurants in the world.
Politico reported that the celebration was for “the 50th birthday of lobbyist Jason Kinney, a longtime friend.”
The Hill pointed out that “California’s current coronavirus guidelines prohibit gatherings that include more than three households,” according to the Chronicle. “Gatherings must also be held outside and should last no longer than two hours.”
But after the news broke, critics cried foul, claiming hypocrisy and pointing to Newsom warning against Californians getting together in large numbers. One of the governor’s aides, Nathan Click, came to his defense, saying that Newsom and his wife “followed public health guidelines and the restaurant’s protocols — all in line with the state’s rules for restaurant operation.”
Newsom himself also reached out to the Chronicle, conceding, “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 was not the first California politician to get busted flouting his own coronavirus recommendations.
Pelosi was lambasted a few months ago after she was caught maskless visiting a shuttered San Francisco salon that the city had forced to close for months as part of the municipality’s stringent COVID-19 regulations.
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