The Village of Croton-on-Hudson in suburban New York withdrew a zoning violation against a longtime resident displaying a “Trump Is My President” flag, citing public pressure, escalating threats and a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The case garnered national attention through Newsmax coverage and local reporting, setting off a clash over free-speech rights and government overreach.
Late Tuesday, officials confirmed that the violation and appearance ticket for the flag — categorized under a “banner” violation of the village’s zoning code — have been rescinded.
The village attorney stated enforcement is suspended while the code is under review.
In an announcement published Tuesday at 4 p.m., the village said the flag citation was “part of routine, village-wide code enforcement that identified 17 non-compliant locations,” and added that “voluntary compliance” succeeded in most cases.
It dismissed claims of political bias: “Village staff have been falsely accused of engaging in a politically motivated enforcement action… categorically false.”
Senior officials said the dispute had become a “national spectacle” and led to “abusive messages and threats of violence” against municipal staff — now under investigation.
Of particular note, the DOJ sent a letter reminding the village of its authority to initiate civil enforcement if constitutional rights are imperiled, urging them to “review its ordinance and enforcement practices promptly” for compliance.
In the wake of these developments, local officials concluded: “Our village government is not in a position to contend with continuous anonymous abuse… and a federal intervention regarding a minor civil citation.”
The case focused on Leonard “Lenny” Amicola, a disabled Vietnam vet who has lived in Croton-on-Hudson for 67 years and has flown pro-Trump banners since 2021.
Amicola has noted that the current flag, suspended between two trees, has attracted both supportive neighbors and acts of harassment, including “rocks being thrown at the flag” and threats toward himself.
Croton-on-Hudson Mayor Brian Pugh defended the code as a “straightforward code enforcement matter, not a free speech issue,” explaining the community discourages banners not on flagpoles.
Both Amicola and his attorney, Roseann Schuyler, staunchly denied the mayor's claims and threatened to bring the case to federal court.
Nationally, Newsmax elevated the dispute, spotlighting Schuyler’s argument that the village mischaracterized her client’s flag to invoke the zoning provision meant for commercial signs and advertising.
She told Newsmax: “Mr. Amicola is not advertising anything. He’s making a political statement on his own private property.” She added that the zoning loading was an attempt “to shoehorn their enforcement action” into a category that does not apply here.
Schuyler also said: “I think that if Lenny had a Joe Biden flag or a Black Lives Matter flag, or a pride flag, that he would be allowed to fly his flag and would not be harassed by the village administration at all.”
Schuyler also remarked that following Newsmax exposure, local support swelled.
“A lot of people in our community saw the interview with Rob Finnerty… Many more … watch Newsmax… They thought it was great… Multiple people have linked to the online Newsmax story on community social media.”