Westgate Resorts CEO David Siegel’s Email Threatens Layoffs If Obama Reelected

Founder and CEO of Westgate Resorts, David Seigel, sent an email out to all of his employees Monday with the insinuation that if President Barack Obama is reelected their employment within his company may suffer.

David Siegel’s email appeared to be a veiled threat to his employees, saying that they could vote for either candidate, but that if Obama wins, they will likely lose their jobs. The email bore a striking resemblance to a 2008 chain letter about the elections, and the Westgate Resorts CEO confirmed with Gawker that he used the chain letter’s basic structure, but changed it to suit his needs. Siegel stated:

“I did use the letter that had circulated before as a guideline, but I changed it [to fit my circumstances]. It speaks the truth and gives [employees] something to think about when they go to the polls.”

The Huffington Post notes that in his letter, the Westgate Resorts CEO stated:

“If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.

“So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1 percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.

“You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.”

David Siegel has a history of interfering in political elections, according to Bloomberg Businessweek, even claiming that he was the one who helped former President George W. Bush defeat Al Gore. Siegel revealed that:

“When I saw a negative article about [Al] Gore, I put it in with the paychecks of my 8,000 employees. I had my managers do a survey on every employee. If they liked Bush, we made them register to vote. But not if they liked Gore … On Election Day, we made sure everyone who was voting for Bush got to the polls.”

Westgate Resorts CEO David Siegel didn’t say if he is doing the same thing to get Mitt Romney elected, but he did warn his employees, “The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job, however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration.”

Do you think that CEOs like David Siegel have the right to threaten their employees over who they will vote for in the Presidential election?