New Jersey investigates Republican gala over Covid rule breaches

New Jersey’s governor, Phil Murphy, has said authorities are investigating a New York Republican club for holding a political gala fundraiser that appeared to violate the state’s coronavirus guidelines.

Photos and video posted on Twitter showed dozens of maskless partiers at the New York Young Republican Club event on Thursday night in Jersey City.

Governor Murphy, a Democrat, told a news briefing on Friday: “It is beyond the pale that anyone would willingly endanger people in another state, never mind their own,” adding that, “Jersey City law enforcement is currently investigating this matter.”

Among the attendees was Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz and conservative political activist James O’Keefe.

Jersey City’s mayor, Steven Fulop, a Democrat, said in an emailed statement that the event at the Maritime Parc restaurant in Liberty State Park was “an egregious violation” of state coronavirus guidelines and that he was ordering the restaurant temporarily closed.

“In Jersey City we take Covid enforcement very seriously, and this event appears to be an egregious violation of the governor’s executive orders, including capacity limitations and mandatory mask wearing,” Fulop wrote. “This event blatantly disregards the protections put in place to safeguard the community from further contagion and has put Jersey City and countless others at serious risk.”

New Jersey has tightened restrictions on indoor gatherings recently in response to a surge in Covid-19 cases. Indoor dining is restricted to 25% of a restaurant’s capacity, and no indoor dining is allowed between 10 pm and 5 am. Customers at indoor bars and restaurants are required to wear face coverings, except when eating or drinking at their table.

Travellers from out of state are urged to quarantine for 14 days, but Murphy has said the state is relying on the honour system for compliance.

The president of the New York Young Republican Club, Gavin Wax, scoffed at the criticism online, saying the group had done nothing wrong.

“We embrace life and living while you all cower in your pods worried about a disease with a 99%+ survivability rate,” he said in one tweet, referring to a pandemic that has killed more than 24,000 people in New York City alone and more than 17,000 in New Jersey.

Murphy criticised the club for holding the gala in New Jersey, saying that they “snuck” into Jersey City because they couldn’t find a venue that would take them in New York City.

“There is no obvious attempt to enforce social distancing or face masks, even though wearing masks indoors is mandatory at organised gatherings when not eating or drinking,” said Murphy, displaying a photo from the gala that showed people crowded around Gaetz for a photo.

He referred to Gaetz as the “tall, handsome fella in the grey suit.” He called the gathering “beyond the pale,” especially for a “member of congress to participate in this”.

“You are not welcome in New Jersey,” Murphy said, “and frankly I don’t ever want you back in this state.”

Gaetz responded on Twitter: “Thank you for calling me handsome, Governor! I’m only considered handsome in New Jersey, though. In Florida I’m barely a roundup 6.”

No one answered the phone at the restaurant and Gaetz didn’t respond to a text messages on Friday.

Both New York and New Jersey have struggled with rising rates of the virus. In New Jersey, nearly 15,000 new cases were reported in the first three days of December alone. New York state reported 30,000.

During his regular coronavirus briefing Friday, New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, said it was “so irresponsible for an elected official who makes laws to encourage people breaking laws,” in an apparent reference to Gaetz.

“I want to see young Republicans grow into old Republicans,” he added. “This is about preventing deaths.”