The following is a report from WITN.
The CEO of Camping World is talking with WITN after the Greenville city council voted to authorize the city to file a civil action against the company.
“Not when they sue, not when I lose, not if they take me to jail, the flag is not coming down,” Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis said.
Camping World’s fight against the City of Greenville concerning its enormous flag seems to be far from over as Lemonis says it’s here to stay.
The battle surrounding the flag heated up Monday night after the Greenville City Council voted 4-2 to authorize the city to file a civil action against Camping World for violating city code regarding the size of the American flag and flagpole it is flying on.
This is a vote Lemonis doesn’t agree with.
“While I respect the city council’s position and while I understand they have the right to sue me, and they’re going to, and I understand I have the right to defend myself, the flag is never coming down,” Lemonis said.
The company’s CEO says he feels like the potential lawsuit is pointed in the wrong direction. “They need to sue me, not the business ’cause I put the flags up everywhere.”
Lemonis lived in Lebanon until he was adopted by a family in Miami, Florida, in 1974. While in Miami, he says he grew up watching his family in the car dealership business, flying their Stars and Stripes high in the sky.
“I remember as a little child telling my family, you know I’m the American dream, not you guys and when I get bigger, and this is a little kid talking, when I get bigger I’m going to have a flag in my business and it’s gonna be bigger than this one,” Lemonis said.
This bigger flag he wished for now has him facing some trouble. The flag first sparked controversy back in October when Camping World put it up, as councilmembers say it is nearly the size of a basketball court at 3,200 square feet, and flies on a pole that stands 130 feet tall, almost double the size of the current regulations.
Click here to read the full report by Amarachi Uche at WITN.
