The mayor of Beaumont, Texas, apologized for violating the stay-at-home order after she visited a nail salon, according to a press release issued by the mayor.
According to the New York Post, Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames was photographed wearing a confront mask on Tuesday, April 21, while making her way to the Nail Bar, a nail salon off Old Dowlen Road. According to Fox 4 Beaumont, she was supposed to pick up some acetone for her nails.
According to Ames, the manicure she had done previously hurt her, and she was worried about getting an infection. She contacted her manicurist, who told her to come into the nail salon to have the artificial nails removed, the news outlet reported.
“I soaked them myself,” Ames said, referring to the process that she took to remove the artificial nails.
“She never touched me. The business is closed. She was going to place the solution of acetone at the back door, and I was going to take it with me to remove the artificial, powdered nails. I had them put on several weeks ago, and they hurt. I was trying to get them off, and I texted my nail lady. She said the only way to get them off is with a solution. You have to do it a special way. She told me she’d put the solution at the back door of the salon,” said Ames, according to the news outlet.
The incident incited several complaints about the mayor’s actions, which led to an investigation by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, according to the news outlet.
“We’ll investigate to see if there’s any criminal conduct to be examined,” said Patrick Knauth, a member of the District Attorney’s Office in Texas. “We’ll turn it over to a law enforcement agency. It’s early on. We need to recognize this is an emotional and fearful time. We need to be cognizant of that. Complaints were made to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. We’ll look into it. I want to be fair to all of the parties involved. Whether it’s determined to be a criminal matter or not, I don’t want to be unfair to anyone. It’s early in the process. We’ll get to it as soon as we can.”
For the incident, Ames issued a press release in which she apologized for her actions.
Press Release from Mayor Becky Ames, April 23rd, 2020.
تم النشر بواسطة City of Beaumont – Government في الخميس، ٢٣ أبريل ٢٠٢٠
“My heartfelt apologies to all of the citizens of Beaumont for my lapse in judgment on Tuesday, April 21st, I promise that there was no malice intended. I should never have entered the salon last Tuesday,” the press release stated.
“I did not intend to take personal privilege while asking others to sacrifice, and for that, I am truly remorseful. I am honestly sorry, and I pray that you will forgive me. In addition, I have asked the city attorney to place me on executive session this Tuesday, so I can discuss this issue with my fellow Councilmembers,” according to the press release.
As per the investigation, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is going to be reviewing some of the footage to see if it confirmed the mayor’s story, Washington Examiner reported.
According to the news outlet, the salon, Nail Bar, could still face a fine up to $1,000 for being having a customer during the stay-at-home order.
