A Wisconsin brewery has had its license nearly revoked after promoting free beers the day President Trump dies — although the state said the reprimand was due to alleged tax violations.
The Minocqua Brewing Co. received a letter from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue moving to revoke its permit to operate in the state.
Owner Kirk Bangstad, a liberal activist, said the move is to “ruin my business on bogus tax and permitting violations.
“We’re going to fight the state of Wisconsin tooth and nail, and once again, they’ll have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us,” he wrote in the brewery’s newsletter.
The revocation is set to take effect on Aug. 4, unless appealed, according to a screenshot of the letter Mr. Bangstad posted.
“Don’t worry, folks. Try as they might, no one can keep the Minocqua Brewing Company down,” the brewery posted to social media.
State officials reportedly seized all canned beer from the company in June, alleging it was illegally transported from Illinois without securing the necessary permits or paying the appropriate taxes.
The state Department of Revenue issued notice of a brewer’s permit revocation for two brewery locations and notice of an “alcohol beverage warehouse” permit revocation for one location.
Mr. Bangstad’s troubles with his permit have been outshined by multiple social media posts seemingly celebrating an attempted assassination of the president and offering a promotion if Mr. Trump dies.
In one post, Mr. Bangstad promised to give out free beer “all day long, the day he dies.”
“Well, we almost got #freebeerday. Either a brother or sister in the Resistance needs to work on their marksmanship or he faked another assassination to get a positive news cycle,” another post read.
The latter of the posts led to agents from the FBI and U.S. Secret Service interviewing Mr. Bangstad.
He has become known as an outspoken political crusader, feuding with public officials and launching a failed campaign for governor after not submitting enough valid signatures to get on the ballot.
“We’re no strangers to fighting against government to simply do business in our town, county, and now the state of Wisconsin. We’ve ultimately won every battle, but fighting in court costs money, and we simply can’t fight without it,” he wrote on social media Wednesday.
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