We are a politically divided nation, and no where is that more obvious than on some social media sites.
That’s where comments are stirring controversy about a private political dinner coming to a popular Erie restaurant this weekend.
National voting activist Scott Presler is coming to town to put on a volunteer training Saturday morning. That will be held at The Colony Pub and Grille.
In the evening, it’s a fund raising VIP dinner at the Cork 1794 that’s drawn some ire. The dinner will support Presler’s organization, “Early Vote Action.”
Presler’s been in the news lately, pushing the SAVE Act, a federal bill requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, and photo ID to vote in federal elections.
Presler and his supporters call that advocating for election integrity, his detractors call it suppressing the vote, and they are directing their political frustration at the Cork 1794 for booking the event.
Republican Donna Reese confirmed that she organized both events, and believes that she was supporting local businesses in the process. She says the controversy actually brought her 8 more reservations for the dinner.
The Erie County Republican party is not the sponsor of the events, but there are flyers posted in the window of the party headquarters.
As for the Cork 1894, they’re a business taking a private booking, not taking a political position.
Cliff Smathers, Erie County Republican Party chair said that criticizing the restaurant online for booking the private event, especially when they’ve done so much good in the community, including providing meals to first responders and teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, is out of bounds. “It’s not a GOP event. Scott Presler is all about getting election registration going on. So he’s coming to town. It’s kind of sad that they decided to pick on a business that’s been as good as this one has to the community. The other interesting thing is when Bernie Sanders came to town and had an event there, their people were in there taking selfies. It’s not an issue to me. I’m not sure why somebody would target such a great business in the area.”
In response to the chatter online, The Cork 1794 put out a statement Monday afternoon:
We understand that members of our community have strong feelings regarding a private dinner scheduled in one of our spaces, and we want to address the situation directly.
Last month, a local individual reserved one of our private dining rooms through our standard booking process. The reservation was made as a private, paid event. As with all private bookings, we confirmed room availability, guest count, and menu details. The nature of the gathering was not disclosed to us at the time of booking.
This dinner is a private event and is not hosted, sponsored, organized, or affiliated in any way with The Cork 1794.
For more than a decade, we have been part of this community and have rented our private spaces to individuals and groups representing a wide range of perspectives. Providing space for a private event does not constitute endorsement of the views of those in attendance.
We remain committed to serving all guests and providing a welcoming and extraordinary dining experience for all who walk through our doors.