Michigan Republicans threatened Governor Gretchen Whitmer with a subpoena on Tuesday amid news that the former director of Whitmer’s health department will be paid $ 155,506 after his unexplained resignation in January.
News of the so-called golden parachute for former state health department director Robert Gordon comes as state Republicans question the Whitmer government’s figures on coronavirus deaths in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. deadline.
MICHIGAN GOV. WHITMER’S HEALTH DIRECTOR RECEIVED PAYMENT BETWEEN ABRUPT RESIGNATION: REPORT
“We want to know if what happened in New York happened here? Can you show us this data? They refused to show us the data,” said State Representative Steve Johnson, chairman of the Michigan House Oversight Committee, in a statement. press conference on Tuesday. “Now, last night we found out that our governor bought the silence from ex-director Gordon with $ 150,000 of taxpayer money.”
Gordon signed a confidentiality agreement and is expected to receive nine months’ salary after his sudden resignation in late January, Detroit News reported for the first time.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer wears a mask with the word “vote” displayed on the front during a roundtable on health, Wednesday, October 7, 2020, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. (Nicole Hester / Ann Arbor News via AP ) /
“What I want to know is, what are they hiding?” Said Johnson. “We are going to start an investigation. … It turned out that it is not only Director Gordon, but his advisor also has one of these agreements. Our office has requested a copy of each agreement.”
“The Supervisory Committee will hold hearings on this matter. We are contacting the department, asking them to testify on this matter,” said Johnson. “If we have to issue a subpoena, we will.”
CHARLIE LEDUFF REPORTER TO PROCESS MICHIGAN GOV WHITMER ON NURSING HOUSE CORONAVIRUS DATA
Whitmer had already shied away from a question about whether she was behind Gordon’s departure, which was so abrupt that it happened just eight hours after he issued an order allowing dinner at home to resume.
“To lead this department in unimaginable circumstances, it has been strenuous,” Whitmer told a news conference on January 25, according to The Detroit News. “On behalf of the entire people of Michigan, I want to thank you for your services to our state. He has worked hard to protect our public health.”
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Houston Keene of Fox News contributed to this report.