Douglas County DA gets dismissal of OSHA violations surrounding Trump visit

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Two citations issued by the state after President Trump's September 12, 2020 visit have been dismissed. They were both issued following his visit at the Minden-Tahoe Airport since the visit was during Governor Sisolak's emergency order that prohibited public gatherings of more than 50 people.

The State of Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Nevada OSHA) has agreed to dismiss the two citations after they were formerly contested by the Douglas County District Attorney who represented both parties charge, the County and ABS Aviation, Inc.

Following a month long investigation, Nevada OSHA issued the citations on October 23, 2020. They were categorized by the state as serious violations with penalties in the amount of $2,950 against the County and $2,603 against the airport operator.

The dismissals will be formalized in settlement agreements, and no formal complaints will be filed before the Nevada OSHA Board of Review, bringing this matter to a conclusion.

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office represented both Douglas County and
ABS Aviation, Inc., which is an independent contractor hired by Douglas County to manage and operate the County owned Minden-Tahoe Airport. The full dismissal of both citations was the result of several settlement conferences between OSHA representatives and the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, according to a Douglas County press release. Arguments regarding selective enforcement, lack of evidentiary proof, and several legal issues related to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution formed the basis for the District Attorney’s argument for dismissal.