‘Slap in the face’: Furious Dems say NY county is refusing to lower flags for Jimmy Carter

The federal government is lowering flags to half-staff to honor the late former President Jimmy Carter, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the same for state government buildings there. But Democrats say a MAGA county executive in the state is refusing requests to lower flags for Carter.Carter died Sunday at the age of 100 at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he was surrounded by family. He faced several health challenges in recent years, including melanoma that metastasized to his liver and brain.President Joe Biden ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and its territories for 30 days. Similarly, Hochul also ordered flags lowered to half-staff until Jan. 28. But Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has not yet lowered flags at county-operated buildings, even as neighboring Suffolk County on Long Island — which also has a Republican executive — plans to do so on Jan. 9, which has been designated a National Day of Mourning.ALSO READ: Revealed: The secret Republican plot to disenfranchise millions of votersSeth Koslow, a Democratic legislator in Nassau County, asked Blakeman to lower the flags, but was rebuffed, his spokesman Mike Fricchione told Newsday.”Today, I issued a statement calling on Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman to immediately lower county flags to half-staff in tribute to the late President Jimmy Carter,” Koslow wrote in a Facebook post Thursday. “This is not only a requirement under federal law but also a meaningful and symbolic act of respect that has been observed across the nation. Honoring President Carter’s legacy in this way is a small yet powerful gesture that reflects our shared values and respect for those who have served our country.”Chris Boyle, a spokesman for Blakeman, told Newsday on Friday that flags have not been lowered at county buildings. He wouldn’t say whether they would be at some point.Democrats in the county ripped Blakeman, who has allied himself with President-elect Donald Trump.”Bruce Blakeman’s refusal to lower Nassau County flags to half-staff in honor of President Jimmy Carter is not just a slap in the face to a great American statesman — it’s a blatant disregard for the law and basic decency,” he said.The county Democratic Party echoed the sentiments, noting that “even former President Donald Trump issued a heartfelt statement honoring Carter’s legacy.”

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