In 2016, David Duke, a former leader of the KKK and current supporter of Donald Trump, ran for one of Louisiana's Senate seats.

Like any politician, he needed money for his bid.

One of the people who donated to his campaign was Minneapolis, Minnesota club owner Julius DeRoma, who gave Duke $500.

The Miami Herald reports that the patrons, employees and acts that kept DeRoma's club, called Club Jäger, going, recently found out about the entrepreneur's donation.

And they didn't like it one bit.

KWCH News

After the news broke, DJs and musicians refused to perform, customers threatened to boycott and some employees quit their jobs at the bar.

"It says racist, it shows white supremacy, it shows hatred. It's vile and it's disgusting. Hatred was not welcome in my life, nor should it be in anyone's in this day and age," said Drea Kingston, a former Club Jäger bartender, according to KWCH News.

DeRoma's response to it all?

"Well, whatever. It's just basically free speech. What do you expect, it's basically something that is blown up beyond what it should be," he said.

DeRoma's donation has had a domino effect on his business, and a negative effect on those that worked there.

First, DJ Jake Rudh announced on Facebook that he would no longer play his weekly dance set at the club, writing that he refused to perform at a "venue where the owner supports the likes of David Duke and his messages of hate."

The hosts of a weekly '90s night cancelled their party, as well. And the club's Tuesday night trivia host, Rob Callahan, cancelled his event, too.

According to Callahan, employees were subjected to harsh treatment from people who believed that the fact that they didn't quit as soon as the news broke, meant that they supported DeRoma's donation. One employee was allegedly followed and spit on.

Others were called Neo-Nazi sympathizers and received hate mail.

"It was emotionally jarring for all of us. And then to have the people who we thought would support us, blame us, it was pretty emotional," Callahan said.

For much of last week, the club was empty; on Thursday, remaining employees decided to shutter the place's doors.

"The people working there didn't want to keep this guy's business operating and continue to face the harassment," Callahan said.

All 17 employees of the club are now without work.

To support the former Club Jäger staff, a GoFundMe campaign was created by a regular at the bar.

"I am just so saddened that everyone is going to be going through financial crisis, undue stress. It's been so stressful. I've never ever had the thought that I didn't want to go to work there until today," Kingston said.

Club Jager

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week