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Gov. Newsom Breaks State COVID-19 Guidelines For a Birthday Party in Napa County

Many chastise Governor for breaking state guidelines and months of touting them for all Californians

On Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Governor Gavin Newsom violated state health guidelines and attended a birthday party with over a dozen people of differing households at the famed French Laundry restaurant in Napa County.

The party was held for longtime Newsom political advisor and Axiom Advisors lobbyist Jason Kinney at the famed Michelin-starred restaurant in Yountville. Held on the night of November 6th, many other notable Californians, including Newsom’s wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom, were also in attendance.

French Laundry restaurant, Napa. (Photo: Wikipedia)

New guidelines by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released in October did allow for small gatherings to be allowed, but also said to include no more than three households due to the higher risk presented to spreading COVID-19. According to those at the party, there was more than the state maximum attending last week.

After the story broke early Friday, representatives for Newsom and Kinney immediately attempted to downplay the violations, noting that the party was outside with proper COVID-19 precautions being taken such face masks on all guests.

“This was a small, intimate, 12-person dinner held outdoors with family and a few close friends to celebrate a 50th birthday,” said Kinney representative Molly Weedn on Friday to the press, noting that all health and safety protocols were also being followed.

However, many, both Republicans and Democrats alike, soon criticized the Governor for failing to follow guidelines he himself has touted for a month and for not leading by example during a crisis.

Some, such as RNC Committeewoman and Attorney Harmeet Dhillon directly contradicted Newsom’s actions last week with an earlier announcement on severely restricting Thanksgiving celebrations in California.

“Oh…but no Thanksgiving for you,” tweeted Dhillon.

Continued backlash against Newsom

The continued backlash led to Newsom releasing a statement.

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

As of Friday evening, many are still continuing to question the Governor over his decision to attend.

“It was only a few weeks ago that Newsom was chastising people for taking their masks off, getting a lot of people together, and generally ignoring protocols,” said Rhea Powers, a Los Angeles-based publicist who specializes in lawmakers, to the Globe. “Now he’s breaking it himself.

“It’s not the worst way possible. By all accounts, the party was social distanced and was following every other state protocol there. If it had been some other politician, they probably would have been ok.

“But this is the Governor, who has led by example. Even worse, he just gave speeches against this very thing. So it hurts him, makes him look like a hypocrite. And, by doing this at the French Laundry of all places, which is one of the top restaurants in the world and costs hundreds for even a basic meal there, it makes him look out of touch and as someone elite who doesn’t have to play by the rules.”

“President Trump got a lot of guff earlier this year for not wearing a mask in many situations, and Democrats had a field day with that. But for a Governor who has made these guidelines a bedrock of his Governorship, and now breaks them in the most ostentatious way possible? It really hurts him. And it can be even worse down the line in 2022 when his actions during COVID-19 are brought up.”

Many political experts have since added the Newsom will likely make a more formal apology for the incident sometime this weekend.”

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Evan Symon: Evan V. Symon is the Senior Editor for the California Globe. Prior to the Globe, he reported for the Pasadena Independent, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and was head of the Personal Experiences section at Cracked. He can be reached at evan@californiaglobe.com.

View Comments (16)

  • Comrades
    Napa inspired Borscht with a dollop of organic sour cream and crunchy buttered brown bread anyone??????

    For you chumps......this is ordinary Russian peasant soup....
    .... .Caio-

  • Newson you are a tyrant and have no sympathy or empathy for the common person. You are classically overindulged in all aspects of you life. Your political survival is supported by corruption and the stupidity of the sheeple that follow voting orders.

  • Yes, we must obey the science.
    Silly Peasants, masks are for kids!
    So inquiring minds want to know, did he and his merry revelers, bite, mask, bite or mask,bite,mask?
    Also was any sipping involved? That would really throw the science off because then you have to sip,mask,sip or mask, sip, mask.

    Fun Times, California, Fun Times????

    • the people next door had a birthday party for 11 yr old daughter, took every precaution, followed protocol, a good time had by all and no one got sick. it is possible, especially for those not in the spotlight! they were responsible. not science deniers, who refuse to take any precaution to protect the rest of us, just in case they are mistaken about the whole thing. if their opinions were found to be fact, then they get bragging rights and everyone was hugely inconvenienced and too many lives in disrepair. But the findings of (nearly all, except kooks) all worldwide scientists agree that covid is a real global threat of monumental proportions and could soon become historic in number. The cases and deaths will increase exponentially. so, inconvenience vs extinction?
      they must eventually(?) realize, despite all the bluster about everyone being corrupt, that the big lie, "trump won", is the seed, which was planted via his false warnings and lies, so many. you believe that over simple preschool math? and the recount? now i how do you get passed the barbaric invasion of capitol? his tax crimes. shady real estate. disrespect of women, darker skinned people, war heroes. stiffs those who work for him. his eagerness to suck our plane dry, shrink then eliminate our wild spaces so he, at great personal gain, can sell oceans and beaches and mountains and rivers. all our respected, protected and precious public lands and dedicated treasures. Do you agree that the invasion of capitol was a true crime, really happened, people were seriously injured and killed, murdered intentionally? research your resources, all sides, please, but be impartial. i know it's difficult, but we all ought to give it a try.

  • Screw the apologies, let's RECALL this jackwagon and then he can eat all the frou-frou French sewage-ingestion all he and "Jennifer Siebel Newsom" want AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN!!!

    http://www.recallgavin2020.com to print out your own recall, or locate your local recall signature gathering locations....

  • Typical democrat. Rules are only for those who can't defend themselves against this kind of hypocrisy.
    Democrats love this kind of behavior. For them, it is a feature, not a bug.

  • "So it hurts him, makes him look like a hypocrite." On the contrary, it the very definition of the word.

  • Comrades

    It hurts to be ruled......just gotta get comfortable with it.

    Maybe that Fox News “Super Beets” will soothe-

  • The King is not subject to the rules you peons must observe. Is there anyone in this state that does not understand that the ruling class is special and you are not?

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