NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A Nebraska server was fired after she filmed a viral video of a maskless Gov. Pete Ricketts at a bar on Election Night.
The video by Karina Montanez shows Ricketts not wearing a mask as he mingles with a group of people at DJ’s Dugout in Bellevue on Nov. 3.
“Hey Pete, where’s your mask? Where’s your mask, Pete? What are you doing, Pete? We’re in a pandemic, Pete,” Montanez can be heard saying in the video.
Montanez told Omaha's KPTM that the video got very little attention until this past Tuesday, when it was shared by hundreds of people, including state Sen. Megan Hunt.
She said she was fired by Tuesday afternoon and that she wasn’t given a specific reason other than she had violated company policy.
“I wasn't bashing the restaurant,” Montanez told KPTM. “Yes, the video was recorded in the restaurant, but the purpose of the video was to show people how our governor is about while we're in this pandemic where people are literally dying.”
In a statement, DJ's Dugout CEO Sunni Renner told the station that Montanez broke the restaurant’s social media and cell phone policies when she “posted a video to social media” while “actively on duty.”
“Although the social media post is believed to be political in nature, DJ’s Dugout respects each of its employee’s political affiliations, beliefs, and activities permitted under law; however, these political affiliations, beliefs, and activities do not represent those of DJ’s Dugout,” Renner said.
State Sen. Megan Hunt was among those backing Montanez on Thursday after she was fired. "If you can, I encourage you to join me in sending her some support," Hunt tweeted.
A spokesperson for Ricketts, meanwhile, told KPTM in a statement: “The Governor was wearing a mask when entered and exited the establishment. The Governor removes his mask temporarily for pictures and did so that evening. The Governor also removed his mask when sitting down at the establishment. The state does not require people to wear masks when seated in bars or restaurants.”