More than $300K raised for San Francisco salon owner accused of 'setup' by Nancy Pelosi



More than $300,000 has been raised for Erica Kious, the San Francisco salon owner accused by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) of a "setup" after the lawmaker was caught on surveillance video visiting the salon in violation of city pandemic rules.

Pelosi had made headlines last week for visiting the shuttered salon to get her hair done despite city guidelines not yet permitting such services. The speaker could be seen on video walking through the salon without a mask.

But after Pelosi claimed she was the victim of a setup, her defenders allegedly flocked online to castigate the salon and its owner.

Kious, a single mother of two, told Fox News' Tucker Carlson last week that she had received "death threats" following the release of surveillance video exposing the powerful Democratic leader.

She added that she would likely be forced to move her business and her family out of San Francisco, a city which she had serviced for more than a decade.

But it turns out that Kious has her fair share of supporters, too. A GoFundMe page created to help Kious quickly began amassing donations. As of Tuesday afternoon, over $314,000 had been raised.

In a post on the fundraising page, Kious wrote:

I wish I could personally thank every person who sent me their prayers, words of encouragement and support, especially at a time when so many are struggling to make ends meet in their own lives.

I am very humbled and grateful to have received such an outpouring of kindness, empathy and generosity from people I don't even know, and from all walks of life and all sides of the political spectrum. It's a powerful reminder that the common things that bind us all together as Americans are far more meaningful and lasting than political and ideological differences that get so much attention and focus.

Today, on Labor Day, we should all focus on celebrating the efforts and achievements of hard-working people everywhere. They deserve our respect and appreciation, and they definitely all deserve an opportunity to get back to work safely and responsibly. That is all this was ever about.

Finally, and most importantly, I want to thank my girls and their loving dad, and all my family and friends (especially Amy Tarkanian) for their support and understanding.

The page was created by Kious' longtime friend, Amy Tarkanian, the wife of former Nevada Senate candidate Danny Tarkanian.

It pledges that all donations will go to "pay off any debts from the business that she is forced to shut down, expenses to relocate and reopen in a new location."

Kious has denied the allegation that she set a trap for Pelosi, calling the claim "absolutely false."

Nancy Pelosi tries to honor 'working people' in Labor Day tweet after throwing salon owner under the bus for lockdown service



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) attempted to honor workers in a Labor Day tweet, but after her attempts to blame a salon owner for setting her up while she violated San Francisco lockdown rules to get her hair done, the tweet was not received kindly by everyone, Fox News reported.

What did Pelosi say?

"Over generations, working people across America built the middle class and secured progress for hard-working families," Pelosi wrote. "House Democrats are unified in our commitment to America's working families. Happy Labor Day!"

Over generations, working people across America built the middle class and secured progress for hard-working famili… https://t.co/d6EcbOnPv0
— Nancy Pelosi (@Nancy Pelosi)1599491250.0

What's the problem?

The message, on its own, is uncontroversial. However, Pelosi recently blamed a salon owner for serving her in violation of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, accusing the owner of setting her up.

Security footage from Aug. 31 showed Pelosi in a San Francisco salon without a mask, apparently getting her hair washed and styled, even though local ordinances required salons to remain closed.

Pelosi, after being exposed for her disregard for the lockdown rules that have disrupted American life and devastated many businesses, did not apologize for her misbehavior. Instead, she blamed the salon owner.

"It was a setup, and I take responsibility for falling for a setup," Pelosi said Wednesday, after footage went viral. "I think that this salon owes me an apology for setting me up."

She didn't stop there. Pelosi's daughter, Christine, shared a letter from the law firm Soleiman APC claiming that the salon owner, Erica Kious, had been illegally operating her salon all through the lockdown, and that she had political animosity toward Pelosi because of the lockdown.

The letter did not attempt to justify Pelosi going to a salon in violation of lockdown restrictions. Pelosi said she was taking the owner's word that the salon could accommodate customers one at a time.

Salon owner comes out on top

A GoFundMe page set up for Kious after the incident has raised more than $300,000 to help her pay off debts and relocate her business.

"Today, on Labor Day, we should all focus on celebrating the efforts and achievements of hard-working people everywhere," Kious told Fox News on Monday. "They deserve our respect and appreciation, and they definitely all deserve an opportunity to get back to work safely and responsibly."

Kayleigh McEnany pummels Nancy Pelosi while playing salon video on loop during White House press briefing



The news story of Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) getting her hair done at a closed hair salon has been a much-discussed ordeal this week. Articles about the House speaker's secret haircut were four of the top five best-performing link posts on Facebook on Wednesday.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany wanted to make sure that everyone had an opportunity to see the viral video, so she played it on loop during her press briefing.

At Thursday's White House briefing, McEnany opened the news conference by playing surveillance footage of a maskless Pelosi walking around a shuttered salon in San Francisco. Not only did McEnany play the video of Pelosi violating several city coronavirus guidelines, but she played the salon video on loop for the media, which included slow-motion footage.

"Two briefings ago, I asked, 'Where is Nancy Pelosi?' Today, I can announce we have found Nancy Pelosi," McEnany started her press briefing. "As you can see, we found Nancy Pelosi going into her hair salon. We will be playing the video on loop for all of you to see during the duration of this introduction."

"Nancy Pelosi was not in the halls of Congress when I asked where she was," McEnany said. "She was not working in good faith to make a deal for the American people."

"Nope, Nancy Pelosi was found in San Francisco at a hair salon where she was indoors even though salons in California are only open for outdoor service," McEnany continued. "Apparently, the rules do not apply to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She wants small businesses to stay shut down, but only reopen for her convenience."

McEnany added, "She wants small businesses to stay shut down, but only reopen for her convenience. 'Do as I say, not as I do,' says Nancy Pelosi.

"Nancy Pelosi is holding up $1.3 trillion in relief for the American people while getting special access to the very kind of small businesses that this money would support — businesses like this hair salon," she said. "Before she skipped town to violate her state's health guidelines, Pelosi proposed a bill. It was called the Heroes Act, which contained no additional paycheck protection funding. This is funding that would help the very small business she has bizarrely accused of plotting against her."

"Nancy Pelosi is demanding an apology from a single mother and small business owner who has received threats since Nancy Pelosi's comments against her salon," the press secretary said. "Salon owner Erica Kious said this: 'Since this happened, I've received nothing but hate text messages, death threats, saying they are going to burn down my hair salon. It's just sad that my community is pulling this, saying that I threw her under the bus when I did not. So that's hurtful.'"

"Nancy Pelosi, you ought to apologize to the American people, or better yet, come back to Washington and get to work for hardworking Americans like this salon owner that you maligned and demanded an apology from," McEnany concluded.

Pelosi has alleged that the salon owner set her up for embarrassment.

"I think that this salon owes me an apology, for setting [me] up," Pelosi said.

Pelosi's daughter, Christine Pelosi, released a letter from attorney Matthew Soleimanpour accusing Kious of setting up Pelosi's stylist, Jonathan De Nardo.

On Wednesday night, Kious told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that Pelosi's claims that she was "set up" by the salon are "absolutely false," and that she had received death threats in the wake of the revelation of Pelosi's salon visit.

"There was no way I could've set that up," Kious, a single mother of two, declared. "I've had a camera system in there for five years. I mean, I didn't go in there and turn cameras on as soon as she walked in and set her up. So that is absolutely false."

JUST IN: Kayleigh McEnany WRECKS Nancy Pelosi with salon video www.youtube.com

Nancy Pelosi’s daughter releases law firm's letter insisting that salon set her mother up



Nancy Pelosi's daughter, Christine Pelosi, has released a letter from a law firm representing the California cosmetologist who provided stylist services to the House speaker on Monday during a COVID-19 lockdown.

In its letter, the law firm accused the salon owner of engaging in a setup.

What's a brief history here?

On Tuesday, reports emerged that Nancy Pelosi requested an appointment at the San Francisco-area salon despite statewide restrictions on such services due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In footage of the visit, Pelosi can be seen in the salon without a mask.

The salon owner said that Pelosi's visit was a "slap in the face" considering she has been unable to open her salon for months due to lockdown restrictions. The owner also pointed out that the House speaker "feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can't work."

Pelosi on Wednesday complained that the salon set her up, and said the owner owes her an apology over the criticism she faced.

"I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that I've been to over the years many times," Pelosi said. "And that when they said 'We're able to accommodate people one person at a time' and that we can set up that time, I trusted that. As it turns out, it was a setup, so I take responsibility for falling for a setup."

What are the details?

The letter, from attorney Matthew Soleimanpour, accused eSalon owner Erica Kious of setting up cosmetologist Jonathan De Nardo, Pelosi's stylist.

A portion of the letter reads, "In response to press inquiries on the matter, Mr. DeNardo can confirm that he indeed did provide professional stylist services to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) on August 31, 2020, at the 'eSalon,' located … in San Francisco, California."

"Mr. DeNardo, at all times, took all requisite safety measures throughout his appointment with Speaker Pelosi, including sanitation of all service areas and wearing of CDC-recommended protective equipment, and thereafter ensured the premises were similarly sanitized following Speaker Pelosi's departure," the letter adds.

Soleimanpour adds that DeNardo — who has worked at eSalon for approximately six years — received approval from Kious to book an appointment with Pelosi.

Kious on Wednesday told Fox News that she did not engage in any type of setup at all.

"[Pelosi] had called the stylist, or her assistant did, and made the appointment, so the appointment was already booked, so there was no way I could've set that up," Kious said. "And I've had a camera system in there for five years. I mean, I didn't go in there and turn cameras on as soon as she walked in to set her up. So that's absolutely false."

The letter notes, "Ms. Kious took special interest in the appointment during this telephone call, wherein she made several vitriolic and incendiary comments about Speaker Pelosi and her purported responsibility for temporarily suspending operations of Ms. Kious' business, despite such orders actually being put into place not by Speaker Pelosi, but by Governor Gavin Newsome [sic] and San Francisco Mayor London Breed."

Despite the alleged remarks, Kious reportedly permitted DeNardo to follow through with styling Pelosi.

"This office is in possession of photographs, videos, and witness information that Ms. Kious, contrary to her prior statements to the press, has actually been operating her business during the stay-at-home orders and similar executive orders limiting in-store operations since as far back as April 2020."

Anything else?

Such photographs purport to show Kious refusing to follow social distancing requirements as well as refusing to adhere to mask-wearing guidelines.

"What's more," the letter continues, "Ms. Kious has also been actively encouraging and almost forcing stylists who operate at eSalon to violate such orders for her own financial benefit in the form of receiving lease payments."

The letter concludes, "The fact that Ms. Kious is now objecting to Speaker Pelosi's presence at eSalon, and from a simple surface-level review of Ms. Kious' political leanings, it appears Ms. Kious is furthering a set-up of Speaker Pelosi for her own vain aspirations."

#setup https://t.co/lALD9zdEC7
— Christine Pelosi (@Christine Pelosi)1599097175.0
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