NM Gov Reportedly Broke Her Own Lockdown Rules To Buy Jewelry
In this week’s edition of “Democrat public officials breaking their own rules amid the coronavirus pandemic,” we learn that New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is accused of ignoring her own lockdown order in pursuit of something shiny.
As New Mexicans were forced to close their businesses and stay home at the behest of Lujan Grisham last month, the Democrat reportedly asked a nonessential jewelry store to open temporarily so she could purchase a piece of apparently essential jewelry.
It must have been a stunning piece that Lujan Grisham could not have waited for, because the purchase came during a time when many of New Mexico’s businesses — including jewelry stores — were prevented from engaging in any such commerce.
KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reported that in early April, when the governor had ordered businesses closed and urged her state’s citizens to stay home, she engaged in what seems to be blatant hypocrisy.
The local outlet hit Lujan Grisham for allegedly not abiding by her own rules, noting that on April 3, she stressed the importance of the executive order asking them to sacrifice their livelihoods and freedom in the name of public health.
“I get it, staying home is hard. … I need you to do better,” she told New Mexicans.
“We are in really tough financial times as a state. It mirrors the incredible, personal sacrifices that happen every single day because people have limited their ability to work, telecommuting and many people, in fact, have lost their jobs,” Lujan Grisham said.
But behind the scenes, per the outlet, the Democrat was longing for something beautiful, because she picked up the phone and called Lilly Barrack Jewelry & Gifts in Albuquerque and placed an order just before Easter.
KRQE reported that Lujan Grisham “called an employee at Lilly Barrack on Paseo to buy expensive jewelry. It was bought over the phone, but the employee went to the closed store, got the jewelry and placed it outside the door of the store, where someone who knew the governor picked it up.”
The information was provided to the outlet by a manager at the store, who was not aware of the purchase until after it occurred and who noted that nobody should have been allowed into the location because of Lujan Grisham’s stay-at-home order.
KRQE reported that the governor’s office has defended that move of apparent hypocrisy, stating that the jewelry order did occur but that it was done safely and within the strict confines of the lockdown order because she had a personal relationship with the jewelry store employee.
A spokesman for the governor told the outlet that “turning the key inside a door to ‘open’ a store wouldn’t violate the order,” and reminded critics of the jewelry purchase that some businesses were allowing employees inside for the purposes of cleaning and inventory.
Another Lujan Grisham representative told The Albuquerque Journal, “There were no state guidelines broken. … It was an entirely contact-free purchase.”
But jewelers in Albuquerque aren’t happy with that excuse.
KRQE reported that the manager of another Albuquerque jewelry store said that “no one was allowed in the store and they wouldn’t even risk it because of a fear of fines. They thought online sales through shipping was their only option, but they got zero customers, losing hundreds of thousands in business.”
Evidently, other jewelers and businesses made the critical error of not befriending the governor prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Albuquerque Journal reported that New Mexico’s order required any business not deemed “essential” to send 100 percent of workers home and that businesses could not even offer curbside pickups until May 1.
In fact, New Mexico retail stores today are only allowed to operate at 25 percent capacity.
It is not completely clear where the governor’s admitted purchase and receipt of the jewelry fall in her lockdown order, as it was not in-person or curbside, but it isn’t a good look for her.
The news of Lujan Grisham’s affinity for the finer things in life over her own health orders comes as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s husband allegedly attempted to use his wife’s position to persuade a boat storage employee to move him to the front of the line with releasing his boat.
Whitmer’s husband, Marc Mallory, apparently engaged in name dropping so he could enjoy outdoor water recreation while the rest of the state’s lowly peasants were denied haircuts and church services.
Whitmer denied her husband attempted to abuse her position as governor this week, telling reporters Michigan’s first man was only joking.
On the subject of haircuts, no Democratic public official has disregarded her own public health order more callously than Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Lightfoot got a haircut in April after ordering her city’s salons closed.
She had a reasonable enough excuse, though. According to Lightfoot, she engaged in blatant hypocrisy because she takes her hygiene “very seriously.”
“I’m the public face of this city,” she said in her defense. “I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye. I take my personal hygiene very seriously.”
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam also joined the fun Saturday by ignoring his own social distancing and mask-wearing advice on a beach in his state, just a day after he publicly contemplated making masks mandatory for Virginians.
Here’s Gov. Ralph Northam social distancing with a mask on at the beach today… you know… like he tells everyone else to do. pic.twitter.com/8IUEGYH0GI
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 23, 2020
These examples of hypocrisy from Democrats continue to demonstrate why no single person in this country should have such a level of authority over the lives of citizens.
Democrats in some areas of the country have mandated oppressive polices that they are unwilling or unable to follow, and the rest of us are expected to sacrifice our livelihoods as they flaunt their power.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
