CA business owner slams Dems for 'fishy' decision to move up Newsom recall vote
Andrew Gruel believes Dems want vote before more possible lockdowns
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Andrew Gruel, chef and owner of the seafood restaurant Slapfish in Southern California, slammed state lawmakers for passing a bill aimed at moving up Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall date, arguing that "‘things are a little fishy."
"The optics alone are dirty," he told "Fox & Friends" on Thursday, adding that when he first heard the news, he thought he thought it was satire.
"Even trying to put the kind of partisan politics and speculation aside, I think anybody in their right mind who would see this would recognize, that whoa, whoa, whoa, something’s not right here if you’ve got pretty much absolute power and you're using that in order to manipulate or relitigate the rules under which your own recall is being run," Gruel told host Steve Doocy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CALIFORNIA GOV HOPEFUL KEVIN FAULCONER UNEILS PROPOSAL TO FIX STATE'S HOMELESSNESS CRISIS
The proposal, which is now headed to Newsom’s desk, would allow the recall to proceed at least 30 days earlier than what the existing state law outlines.
Democrats hope to take advantage of what they view as favorable conditions for Newsom as the state moves on from the worst days of the pandemic and related restrictions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some California Republicans have accused Democrats of acting unfairly as some Democrats hope to take advantage of what they view as favorable conditions for the California governor as the state moves on from the worst days of the coronavirus pandemic and the related lockdowns.
"The conclusion is inescapable that Gavin Newsom is cheating in the recall and this Legislature is his willing accomplice," Republican Assemblyman Kevin Kiley said. Kiley is considering running in the contest.
Democratic Assemblyman Phil Ting argued that recall supporters should want the recall election to happen as soon as possible, which is what the bill would ensure.
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A spokesperson for Newsom did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment about whether he and/or members of his staff had communicated with Democratic lawmakers regarding the recall timing.
The move to pass a bill aimed at moving up Newsom’s recall date came as the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is recommending that all residents wear masks in public indoor spaces regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19 as the Delta variant continues to spread statewide, The Los Angeles Times reported on Monday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gruel acknowledged the restaurant labor shortage nationwide and noted that part of the reason people are not rushing back to work is because they are worried about another potential shutdown.
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"They’re so anxious about a potential shutdown again and then they hear about mask mandates, they might be vaccinated and they don’t understand why, and now Newsom is moving the recall into this sweet spot. Things are fishy, to use my own pun," the seafood restaurant owner said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Recall organizers collected 1.7 million signatures in support of recalling Newsom and the California governor will face an election later this year. Without the recall, the regularly scheduled reelection would have taken place in 2022.
Gruel said that "things are OK right now" compared to during the pandemic lockdowns, so state Democrats want the vote to be earlier.
"Businesses are opening, people have a little bit of money in their pocket … by virtue of a lot of the money being printed from the federal government," he continued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gruel speculated that Newsom and state Democrats might be worried about another potential shutdown and so their thinking is "they got to get this taken care of while the summer numbers are low and who knows what’s going to happen moving forward."
"So that's where things get scary from my perspective," Gruel told Doocy.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A spokesperson for Newsom did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment regarding Gruel’s statements.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.