Caesars: Attendees At Vegas Conference Organized By QAnon-Linked Group Must Comply With Mask Mandate

Las Vegas NV

20 August, 2021

6:07 PM

Description

By Howard Stutz, The Nevada Independent August 20, 2021 Caesars Entertainment said attendees and speakers at a four-day conference inside the company's new Las Vegas Strip convention facility, which is being organized by a group closely linked to the far-right conspiracy-driven QAnon movement, will have to comply with all state and local COVID-19 protocols, including a mask mandate. The Patriot Voice is holding the "For God and Country Patriot Double Down 2021" event in Las Vegas from Oct. 22-25 at Caesars Forum Conference Center behind the Linq Promenade on the Strip. In a statement Thursday, Caesars said the company provides event and convention space for "a wide range of industries and organizations." Caesars Forum opened this year. The company completed the 500,000 square-foot facility in 2020, and it was scheduled to host the NFL Draft before the event was cancelled because of the pandemic. QAnon has been recognized by the FBI as a potential domestic terror threat. The organization hosting the conference has been linked to the group. Confirmed speakers include former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was granted a presidential pardon after twice pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia. "Events taking place in our facilities are not indicative of the company's views, nor are they an endorsement of any group or organization," the company said in the statement. "We require all of our guests to comply with local laws and mandates, including the current indoor mask mandate." The story was first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday. "From the stage, you will have the opportunity to hear from some of your favorite Patriots and Digital Soldiers in both keynote speeches and panel forums," according to the conference's website. Other speakers include Jim Watkins and Ron Watkins, conspiracy theorists associated with QAnon; conservative author and speaker David Harris Jr.; Juanita Broaddrick, who claimed she was raped by Bill Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas; Evan Sayet, a comedian and conservative speaker; and former Republican Assemblyman Jim Marchant, who lost a race for Congress in 2020 and has announced his campaign for secretary of state in 2022. The Nevada Independent is a nonprofit, reader-supported news site. Since 2017, we have provided nonpartisan reporting on Nevada public policy, politics and people. Sign up here for our free morning newsletter.