California Emergency Manager Admits To Sunbathing On The Empty Beach: ‘I Own This’
While state officials have been encouraging everyone to abide by the shelter-in-place order, Chris Godley, the director of Emergency Management and leader of Sonoma County’s Emergency Operation Center decided to take a Saturday trip with his family to an unnamed, seemingly empty beach in Sonoma County, according to Fox News.
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The news site reports that photos from their trip were shared on Facebook. “Road tripping up the coast. Beautiful drive and nice views. Family beach time together. Grateful for fresh air and the ocean,” the post read. Of course, he received backlash for this move but he as spoken out to defend his actions. Godley explained regret when confronted by the Press Democrat. “I own this,” he said. “It was a day off for my family. Any reasoning or justification is going to sound thin.”
“It’s certainly not what I want to model for my community at this time,” Godley further explained, Fox News quotes. “I seek the understanding and mercy of my community. The opportunity to grant just a moment of freedom to my family — given that they rarely see me — is not a justification, but it’s what was going through my mind at the time.”
His Supervisor David Rabbitt also defended Godley while calling for more lax rules for public servants like Godley and other health care professionals.
“If this was the doctor, in the midst of a battle for six days, and had one day off with family, would it be a sin?” Rabbitt said. “Would that be a story? Or is it only a story for Chris Godley who works for the county?,” Fox News quotes.
Meanwhile, Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins didn’t take this lightly.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” she said. “In county government, we need to lead by example. We can’t possibly expect the community to hold themselves accountable if we don’t hold ourselves accountable, as well.”
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