BOSTON — A swath of Republicans across Massachusetts are coming together to support a Cape Cod restaurant that’s been hit with a litany of online threats and harassment, even a hoax 911 call, in retaliation for hosting a fundraiser for two GOP candidates earlier this month.

Montano’s Restaurant, located in Truro, hosted Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue and GOP congressional candidate Tyler MacAllister last week for a fundraising event as the November general election draws closer.

Almost immediately after the Sept. 16 event began, an onslaught of comments hit social media wishing Montano’s to go out of business, with some outright threatening owner Ed Medeiros and the restaurant. In addition, a hoax 911 call reported a pregnant woman in labor lost in the woods directly behind Montano’s.

The MassGOP is calling for an investigation into the hoax emergency call as well as the threats directed at Medeiros and the restaurant.

“The Massachusetts Republican Party calls for a full investigation of the threats and the hoax call. Charge the people who did this. And every elected official who lectures the country about democracy should say, without hedging, that a small business may host any lawful political event without being punished for it. If that principle only applies when Democrats are in the room, it is not a principle. It is a racket,” said MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale.

Medeiros told the Herald he was at his home in Seekonk when his head chef at Montano’s called to inform him of the massive emergency response, which took place at 3:30 p.m., just a half hour before the restaurant opened. He says that incident, along with the online threats, has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in lost business since the fundraiser.

“We’ve been getting all kinds of hate mail, and I mean hate. A lot of responses on social media saying, ‘hope your building burns down,’ and other threats directed at me. It’s ridiculous,” Medeiros said.

“I don’t understand it, these people down here, you know? I tolerate a lot of outbursts at the restaurant from different people and everybody who comes in. My restaurant is welcome to everyone. I don’t discriminate. I don’t do any of that. And for this to [happen], it just shows that it’s (society) become if you don’t share my opinion then you need to go,” he said.

The Truro Republican Town Committee (RTC) has sent letters to state and local officials publicly denouncing the harassment directed at restaurant and to also support the right of Montano’s and all businesses to host political events.

“We are Republicans. We are also aware that Truro Vineyards has hosted political fundraising events for Democratic candidates and elected officials. It never occurred to us to boycott the Vineyard, criticize its owners, or attempt to harm its business because it hosted a Democratic political event,” Truro RTC Chair Tim Hickey wrote in letters to the town’s select board, town manager, state Rep. Hadley Luddy (D-4th Barnstable) and state Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Cape & Islands).

“I respectfully ask each of you, as elected representatives of our community, to make a clear public statement supporting Montano’s and affirming the right of all Truro businesses to host lawful political and civic events without intimidation or retaliation,” he said.

The Truro RTC says the Truro Select Board, Rep. Luddy and Sen. Cyr have yet to respond to his letter, while Town Manager Kelly Clark did provide a response, but did not defend Montano’s and only confirmed that the hoax 911 call was investigated. None of them have publicly stated support for Montano’s.

Meanwhile, singer/songwriter and Cape Cod native Carly Tefft says she plans to perform soon at Montano’s in order to boost business and to use positivity to turn the tide.

“As soon as I heard about this I wanted to reach out to the owner of Montano’s, and we’re actually finalizing some details this week about putting together a live music night in the next coming weeks,” Tefft said Tuesday on The Ed Lambert Show on WXTK-FM (95.1).

“You know, it’s sad, because I truly believe that if you have love in your heart that this is not the way to act and not how one would act if they’re full of love. So, it just makes me sad that this person or persons who did this just doesn’t have that in them,” Tefft continued. “I just feel the need to step in and say, ‘hey, let’s do something and turn this around and let’s hopefully make this Montano’s biggest end of the year yet. That’s really my goal.”

U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton says the harassment directed at Medeiros and his restaurant is “not politics, it is intimidation of a small business.” He called the hoax 911 call a “dangerous waste of emergency resources.”

“In Massachusetts, we settle disagreements by debating and voting, not by trying to shut down someone’s business. Families across this state are struggling with the cost of housing, energy, and groceries. That’s what we should be debating: real policy to help working families get ahead, not hate and division that tear communities apart,” Deaton said. “Whoever made that call should be found and charged. And every leader in this state, regardless of party, should say plainly that this has no place here.”

Minogue and MacAllister have also condemned the harassment faced by Montano’s, adding that they shopped and were rejected by several other venues in town who claimed they “do not host political events.”

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