Trump store owner claims fines from village, eviction notice are ‘political’
WLS, VILLAGE OF HUNTLEY, CNN
By John Garcia
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HUNTLEY, Illinois (WLS) — A legal battle is brewing in the northwest suburbs over a business called the Trump & Truth Store.
The village says there are ordinance violations, but the business owner says the whole thing is political.
Attorneys for the landlord who owns the building where the Trump & Truth Store is located are trying to get the business evicted.
The owner says she’s being singled out because of politics.
The store is filled with pro-Donald Trump T-shirts, hats and just about everything else you can imagine.
Owner Lisa Fleischmann has had the store in a Huntley strip mall for more than a year, but for the last five months or so has been racking up fines from the village of up to $500 a day.
That’s from citations the village has issued for alleged violations, including blocking the sidewalk with merchandise like a life-sized inflatable Donald Trump.
“I need to stand up for the small businesses, let alone it’s totally political,” Fleischmann said.
Fleischmann is clearly a supporter of the president, and says she opened the business to promote conversation and political discourse.
She says Huntley village inspectors have told her she is not allowed to have tables and chairs outside or to display her merchandise outside the store in the public way.
She says she believes she is being singled out.
“I’m gonna fight it and get people’s attention because without it we’re never gonna have change,” Fleischmann said.
Fleischmann is now facing two legal fights: one against the village over the alleged violations and the other against her landlord, who is trying to evict her.
The landlord has not returned requests for comment.
The village sent a statement, saying in part “Ms. Fleischmann insists on maintaining signage in violation of the ordinance that includes temporary banners, flags, inflatable figures, and signs placed within the right-of-way.”
Fleischmann’s attorney says she is being singled out, and he believes she will be vindicated.
“We’re optimistic things are going to go well, and Lisa is going to have the opportunity to maintain her store,” attorney David Shestokas said.
Fleischmann’s attorney says he is considering a counter-suit against the village of Huntley.
He says he believes it is a constitutional issue, and they have violated her rights to free speech and equal protection.
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