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(FOX40.COM) –The saga over Camping World’s refusal to remove its oversized American flags from business properties continues as the company seeks to have a lawsuit filed by a city government thrown out.
• Video Above: Business, San Joaquin County at odds over ability to fly American flag
Known as the largest retailer and dealer of RVs in the U.S., Camping World has nearly 250 lots throughout the nation, including several in Northern California. All of the sites fly more than 120-foot American flags on their lot. For more than a year, the company’s CEO, Marcus Lemonis, has defied city and county ordinances that make it illegal for him to fly the enormous flags.
In the latest twist, the company is urging a judge to toss out a North Carolina lawsuit filed by the City of Greenville, keeping the battle over patriotism and city code alive. The 28-page lawsuit was filed in June 2025 and accuses Camping World of racking up nearly $34,000 in fines after Lemonis violated its city ordinance by refusing to take down a 3,200 square feet American flag flying in Greenville.
The City of Greenville cited safety reasons as the cause behind the fines and required removal. Additionally, the city claims that Camping World has not complied with a city ordinance that limits flag sizes to 216 square feet.
On Aug. 8, Lemonis filed a motion to dismiss the suit because he claims the city ordinance violates a law, General Statute 144-7, which makes it illegal for the government to prohibit an official governmental flag from being flown or displayed.
“For more than two centuries, the American flag has served as a symbol of American identity, pride, and freedom. It is the banner under which our countrymen have fought and died to protect our most sacred liberties,” Camping World’s filing said in part. “The City’s (Greenville) action is blatant retaliation against Camping World’s exercise of its rights to free speech and to petition.”
Camping World added, “Despite the importance of the American flag and what it symbolizes, some local governments in North Carolina have treated the flag as a nuisance, invoking zoning ordinances to restrict its display.”
Whether Lemonis wins or loses the case he recently doubled down and insisted that the flag would stay up at his businesses.
“The flag? It’s never coming down,” Lemonis said in a viral video posted by FOX News on social media. “Over the last several years, I’ve had a number of run-ins with local city officials and governments over my raising of the flag.”
He added, “I’ll never take it down. And the reason for that is it’s my love letter as an immigrant to this country, who, quite frankly, was given a gift.”
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Veronica Catlin
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