Just to be clear, the promise of free beer and the license revocation are separate. The brewery broke the law on multiple fronts, that’s why they lost the license. They also just happened to say the thing about free beer, which maybe brought attention to themselves, but the statements aren’t the reason for the punishment.
Seems like a first amendment violation.
Did you read this article or any other article?
He was shut down by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for tax violations.
Bangstad provided a chart explaining what violations were allegedly in the document from the DOR. Those include unauthorized running of a retail outlet, violation of shipping laws and untaxed beer possession in an unpermitted warehouse.
And he admits to owing taxes. This is an entitled small business owner™ trying to claim political persecution as a scapegoat because he’s appalled small businesses like his aren’t above the law.
He’s also been accused of fraud by former employees in relation to the expenditures of his super PAC, e.g. writing checks for “organizing” that never happened.
The former employee provided documentation showing he received checks from the Minocqua Brewing Super PAC with “organizing” written in the memo line, despite saying he never performed organizing work or any duties for the Super PAC. Two other former employees confirmed the employee’s account.
I’m curious why the employees were receiving checks from the Super PAC. What work did they do? Or are they saying he paid their normal wages like this with “organizing” in the memo for a regular paycheck?
Sorry, I could’ve stood to include the prior paragraph:
“I was hired as a manager to basically take care of the bar, take care of his tap room in Madison,” said [the same] former employee who requested anonymity. “At first, I was paid by a regular direct deposit, and then he said he’s going to pay me from the Super PAC and from the business. And I started to do some research. I spoke with a couple attorneys and an accountant, and they said, that’s kind of shady, not a good idea.”
Yeah that sounds like money laundering/fraud, either to pay less in payroll taxes or to make the business look leaner on paper to sell it.
Well that certainly explains it. Shady as fuck.
I haven’t done a ton of research on the guy, but he definitely seems like a grifter. I started getting emails from him out of the blue a while back. It was a brewery but also a PAC and the surface level messaging seemed like stuff I was aligned with until it started getting a little unhinged.
He tried to get on the ballot for governor recently but failed. It all kind of seems like political theater.
Tax violations?
Sounds like some mafia trick
Like when a cop happens to find drugs in your car in a random search
Except the owner himself said that he owes taxes. He just also thinks that it’s unfair because he’s a small business, and that it’s a brewery specifically in Wisconsin.
I love his comments I’m free beer, but he’s reaping what he’s sowed.
“Worry not, owner class, for I will defend you from these mafioso slanderers who think it’s possible for entrepreneurs to violate tax (and various other) laws. I am very progressive btw.”
It is, and they’re probably going to win big.
There is way, way more “stating as fact, but based 100% on feels” on Lemmy than there should be.
Like this comment.
It’s not legal to refuse business licenses on the basis of expression, I watched a town near where I grew up lose BIG over something similarly contentious lol.
Did you read anything about this other than the headline?
Do you think the town near where I lived didn’t also have justifications for what they did? Do you think they’re going to put in writing “you can’t have a liquor license because we don’t like your anti-Trump social media posts”? If they moved on these violations faster than other businesses with similar violations, that can be used as evidence of prejudice and targeting on the basis of political speech.
So, no
Yeah man, I psychically divined those details about violations that are in the article but not the headline. You got me.
‘Business broke a code so the state government must be completely innocent’ is a ridiculous way to be acting in this day and age in a state that went to Trump both times he won the presidency.
Why were they stripped of their alcohol permit?
I’d drive from the coast to support these people
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Pretty sure giving away alcohol for free is illegal everywhere in the US. I know for sure it is in Illinois. Thats why you need to buy tickets to beer festivals and “use” the tickets to sample beers. Brewers just ignore the tickets and give away their beer because its about getting people to try something new and maybe visit their taproom or buy their beer at the store later.
What he could do is promote penny beers after Trump’s inevitable death.
Indeed it is.
ATF will get their cut.
Did I miss the part of the article where the DOR explained what regulation was allegedly broken?
No, you didn’t. The “reporting” here is very poor and largely just reiterates the owner’s view without clarifying the actual reasons the state gave for revoking the license.
CLOSING businesses who make you FEEL Bad are what MANLY FREEDOM ALPHAS do!
Someone else that only read the headline
Sounds like the right wing are some of the biggest snowflakes on the planet.
And oh yeah, in case anyone forgets:
It’s always projection with the conservatives. Always.
The party of free market capitalism strikes again.
