Florida company's president warns employees their jobs could be in danger if Trump loses election

Monday, October 19, 2020
ORLANDO, FL -- Some employees at a Florida manufacturing company feel they were threatened with being laid off if they did not support President Donald Trump.

Daniels Manufacturing Corporation is based in Orlando. Its office displays a large Trump flag on the flag pole outside the building.
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According to campaign finance reports obtained by WESH, the company and its president George Daniels has contributed more than $600,000 in this election cycle to President Donald Trump and groups supporting other Republican candidates for office.

While there's nothing inherently wrong with companies supporting political parties or candidates, some employees think what Daniels Manufacturing Corporation did in a recent paystub went too far.

Their paystubs included a letter from Daniels himself warning them that their jobs could be in danger.

"If Trump and the Republicans win the election, DMC will hopefully be able to continue operating, more or less as it has been operating lately," the letter read. "However, if Biden and the Democrats win, DMC could be forced to begin permanent layoffs in late 2020 and/or early 2021."



Stan Smith is a DMC employee, but after getting that letter, he said he's planning to quit.
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"Everybody has a choice to make their own decision," Smith said.

Some workers told WESH they were too afraid to speak about the incident for fear they would lose their jobs. Still, others said they supported the president and didn't find the letter offensive or threatening.

"I don't feel like it was correct, to do something like that," Smith said. "That's like me coming to work--because we had all these black killings--and I should come in here and I should wear a Black Lives Matter shirt and bring out hats and pass them out to everyone. I felt like it was unfair."

Daniels declined to be interviewed on camera about the letter, but he issued the following statement:

"I have been doing this for years. I have an obligation to let workers know what could happen, based on the outcome of an election. They certainly should vote for the candidate they want."
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