The Chainsmokers could face civil or criminal charges over Hamptons concert
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Safe & SoundNew York’s governor Andrew Cuomo is furious over The Chainsmokers’ packed concert in the Hamptons, which showed audience members clustering together and outright defying social distancing guidelines….
By ABC Audio on July 29, 2020
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Safe & SoundNew York’s governor Andrew Cuomo is furious over The Chainsmokers‘ packed concert in the Hamptons, which showed audience members clustering together and outright defying social distancing guidelines.
The New York Post reports that the Saturday “drive in” show, which doubled as a charity concert that drew in roughly 2,000 people, is now under investigation by the Department of Public Health.
Cuomo blasted The Chainsmokers on Tuesday, saying the performance was “grossly disrespectful to fellow New Yorkers” considering how hard the state fought to control the spread of COVID-19.
“The concert that happened in the town of Southampton was just a gross violation of not only the public health rules, it was a gross violation of common sense,” the governor fumed during his daily press conference regarding the novel coronavirus.
The Chainsmokers and those involved in the show now face potential civil or criminal repercussions, with the governor saying that violations of “public health law has civil fines and a potential for criminal liability, so we’re taking that very seriously.”
Cuomo also expressed concern why the concert wasn’t shut down sooner due to the lack of social distancing seen at the venue, saying videos on social media showed the concert was “out of control and all the rules were being violated.”
Cuomo further lambasted The Chainsmokers on Twitter, writing on Sunday that he was “appalled” by what he saw and that “We have no tolerance for the illegal & reckless endangerment of public health.”
Organizers claim the concert abided by all measures laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Know Experiences and Invisible Noise, who arranged the show, expressed that the performance helped raise money for critical charities No Kid Hungry, the Southampton Fresh Air Home, and Children’s Medical Fund of New York.
By Megan Stone
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