A North Carolina city council voted to pursue legal action against Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of Camping World, for refusing to take down a large American flag at one of his stores.

Lemonis said he’s willing to go to jail over the dispute.

“Not when they sue, not when I lose, not if they take me to jail, the flag is not coming down,” he told WITN.

“While I understand they have the right to sue me, and they’re going to, and I understand I have the right to defend myself, the flag is never coming down,” he added.

WATCH:

WITN reports:

Camping World’s fight against the City of Greenville concerning its enormous flag seems to be far from over as Lemonis says it’s here to stay.

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The battle surrounding the flag heated up Monday night after the Greenville City Council voted 4-2 to authorize the city to file a civil action against Camping World for violating city code regarding the size of the American flag and flagpole it is flying on.

This is a vote Lemonis doesn’t agree with.

“While I respect the city council’s position and while I understand they have the right to sue me, and they’re going to, and I understand I have the right to defend myself, the flag is never coming down,” Lemonis said.

The company’s CEO says he feels like the potential lawsuit is pointed in the wrong direction. “They need to sue me, not the business ‘cause I put the flags up everywhere.”

Lemonis lived in Lebanon until he was adopted by a family in Miami, Florida in 1974. While in Miami, he says he grew up watching his family in the car dealership business, flying their Stars and Stripes high in the sky.

Full text:

Greenville City Council voted 4-2 to initiate legal action to take down the American Flag at the Greenville @CampingWorld. Council members Les Robinson, and Monica Daniels, voted against the lawsuit. Mayor PJ Connelly , although the rules did not permit his vote, indicated he would not support such action.

Council member Robinson said, “Greenville has more important issues to focus on than costly and lengthy legal action to take down an America Flag.”

Per Newsweek:

The conflict began after the flag went up in October 2024.

Council members have accused Camping World of not being truthful about the flag and flagpole measurements on the permit application.

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Lemonis said the company that put up the flag likely copied the town ordinance.

“Truth be told, as I look at it now, I can see why people would be frustrated that the flag company would write one thing and then do something else,” he said. “I didn’t know what they wrote. If I had known, I would have had them not fill out anything at all and then I would have put the flag up.”

The council said Camping World has also failed to pay thousands of dollars in fines, which the lawsuit can help remedy.

The council also voted to deny an amendment increasing the flag size allowed in commercial areas.

“Instead of placating a known bully and allowing them to exploit our city for profit and national media attention, it is my conviction that we should be standing firm and united and that we are smarter than the tactics that seek to divide us,” Councilmember Portia Willis said during a council meeting.

This is not the first time Lemonis has faced legal action for the size of the flags at his stores. He is expected to go to court on April 15 for a matter related to a flag at a Tennessee location.

 

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