Hypocrisy reached a new and cruel high at the hands of California lawmakers who have decided that the travel restrictions they have placed on California residents simply don’t apply to them.
The ongoing COVID-19 hysteria has seen many Blue state governors – like California’s Gavin Newsom – institute another round of draconian restrictions ahead of the holiday season. In California’s case, these restrictions include a travel ban.
On Monday, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), under the authority of the Governor, issued a firmly worded travel ban that forbid non-essential and out-of-state travel. The order comes in the aftermath of a spike in the number of COVID cases in that state. CDPH has also “recommended” that anyone traveling to California self-quarantine for two weeks.
But that didn’t stop some California lawmakers who broke the travel ban to fly to Maui, Hawaii, this week for the California Independent Voter Project’s annual policy conference. The California Independent Voter Project is based in San Diego, California.
The group’s mission statement says its focus in to empower “non-partisan voters and promote non-partisan election reform through initiatives.” In reality, the summit is a high-priced vacation disguised as a work trip. The project’s summit has historically been an opportunity lawmakers, lobbyists and industry representatives to hob-knob over cocktails while occasionally discussing policy under the Hawaiian sun.
The COVID enacted restrictions in Hawaii require travelers to either isolate for 14 days upon entering the state, or prove they’ve had a negative COVID test result within the last 72 hours. It is unclear how the risk of contracting or carrying the virus while traveling from California to Hawaii is negated for summit attendees.
Nothing can stop the annual Independent Voter Project conference in Maui — not even the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/1Z0CzDbRz9
— Alexei Koseff (@akoseff) November 17, 2020
In May, law enforcement in Maui executed an all-out manhunt for a Colorado woman who was on the run for flouting COVID social distancing rules.
The Maui Police Department issued a statement on their Facebook page that read, “Police are requesting your assistance in locating Tara Trunfio. Trunfio is wanted for violating the Rules and Orders for failure to quarantine…”
Trunfio was apprehended and taken into custody for violating social distancing rules and failing to quarantine. Her bail was set at $4,000.00.
Meanwhile, Governor Newsom had to eat some crow after attending a friend and political adviser’s 50th birthday party at a swank, upscale Napa County restaurant.
EXCLUSIVE: We've obtained photos of Governor Gavin Newsom at the Napa dinner party he's in hot water over. The photos call into question just how outdoors the dinner was. A witness who took photos tells us his group was so loud, the sliding doors had to be closed. 10pm on @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/gtOVEwa864
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) November 18, 2020
After receiving an intense amount of criticism for his overt hypocrisy in the San Francisco Chronicle, Newsom apologized. “I made a bad mistake,” Newsom said. “The spirit of what I’m preaching all the time was contradictory, and I’ve got to own that, so I’m going to apologize to you.”
The legislators are still going to Hawaii.
