After Arizona's governor urged people to stay at home for the holidays, his son posted maskless videos at a Benihana and a crowded indoor party
- Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's son Jack Ducey shared social media videos of dining inside a Benihana and going to a large party last week.
- The videos were posted after Gov. Ducey urged people not to gather for the holidays to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- The grassroots organization Accountable Arizona, working to hold Gov. Ducey accountable amid the COVID-19 pandemic, criticized Jake Ducey's video.
Days after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey urged residents to avoid gatherings over the holidays to prevent the spread of COVID-19, his oldest son was seen with a large group inside a Benihana and maskless at an indoor crowded party.
Footage from Ducey's adult son Jack Ducey was apparently posted on his Instagram on December 30, and later circulated on Twitter, the Arizona Republic reported.
The video shows multiple clips of people eating indoors at a Benihana with the younger Ducey, who is in his 20s, and later at a party in a dark crowded room where people were dancing together.
It was unclear where the party took place. The video series ended with a caption that said: "solid birthday."
Indoor dining is allowed with occupancy restrictions in Arizona, unlike New York and Los Angeles, where it is currently prohibited due to rising COVID-19 cases. However, health officials in Arizona have encouraged people not to gather in large groups amid the pandemic.
And while Gov. Ducey avoided implementing an indoor dining ban, he urged people to wear masks and follow public health guidelines ahead of the holidays.
Jack Ducey's indoor dining and party clips were met with criticism from Arizona residents.
The grassroots organization Accountable Arizona, which is working hold Governor Ducey accountable amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said: "If Ducey's own adult son isn't following Ducey's soft advice how can Ducey expect Arizonans to? We need mitigation measures with enforcement now."
Gov. Ducey did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
In a statement to the Arizona Republic, Jack Ducey said he made a mistake but did not elaborate.
Arizona has had 567,474 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, and 9,317 people in the state have died from the virus, according to Arizona health data.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that Arizona is now the state with the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections.