A Michigan attorney suggested that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could be prosecuted for handling nursing home deaths in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic when the attorney general launched an investigation into the fatalities.
The news comes as Republicans in the Michigan legislature said they will hold hearings on a confidential $ 155,000 divorce deal struck with former health department director Robert Gordon amid allegations that it may be a “silent payment”. to be.
Macomb County district attorney Peter Lucido said he cannot obtain information about the deaths in nursing homes and long-term care facilities due to strict laws protecting patients’ health care information.
If we find out that an office has been deliberately neglected, if we discover that a person’s life has been recklessly endangered by bringing them in, then we would continue to press charges against the governor. Of course we would. No one is above the law in this state, ”Lucido told ABC 7 WXYZ on Monday.
The questions surrounding Whitmer about the nursing home deaths are similar to the scandal that swirled around New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who even before his growing sexual harassment scandal had prompted him to resign or be impeached.
The contending governor is also haunted by allegations made by five women that he sexually harassed them by touching or kissing them inappropriately, and by making inappropriate remarks against them.
Whitmer said in an interview on CNN on Sunday that she supports an independent investigation into her fellow Democratic governor.
“I think the allegations here are very serious and should be taken seriously. And I think an impartial, thorough and independent investigation is worthwhile and appropriate, “she said of” State of the Union. “
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel will investigate state policies for coronavirus nursing homes, ClickonDetroit.com said.
Whitmer’s office devastated Lucido in a statement to WXYZ, calling his comments “shameful political attacks based on fact or reality.”
The statement also said Lucido’s Republican colleagues confirmed that they “have not seen any evidence or testimony saying that a nursing home was forced to admit someone against their will.”
Her office said the state is “prioritizing” testing “nursing home workers and residents” to save lives. “
“Early in the pandemic, the state acted quickly to create a network of regional hubs with isolation units and adequate PPE to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within a facility. In addition, we have provided priority access to the vaccine for 100 percent of nursing home residents. Both the former head of AARP and an independent UM study praised our work to save lives in nursing homes, ”the statement said.
Michigan House Oversight Chairman Steve Johnson, a Republican, said he wants answers from Whitmer about the deaths in the nursing home and the payment to the former health director.
“We have invited the department to come and testify before our supervisory committee. They refused, and we asked them to share with us the records of the deaths in the nursing home. They refuse. And now we see that the governor paid former health department director Robert Gordon $ 155,000 to keep quiet, which begs the question: what are they trying to hide, ”he told Fox News.
He said Michigan was one of the states that forced “COVID patients” into nursing homes, “just like you saw in New York, Governor Cuomo.”
“That happened here, and they kept the numbers in New York and the deaths in nursing homes, and the question here is whether they are hiding the numbers,” Johnson said.
Whitmer denied that Gordon, who stepped down in January, received payment to keep quiet.
“I really hate that characterization. It’s the nature of a divorce agreement, when someone leaves in a managerial position … there are conditions attached to it and you can’t share every term with it. That’s just what it is, ”Whitmer told reporters at a press conference earlier this month, the Detroit Free Press reported.
But she did not want to elaborate on why Gordon resigned or why tax money was used for a divorce agreement that remains confidential.
Johnson said he had the same questions.
“This is not something that is common, not something that we have seen here in the state government before. If it’s so common, why weren’t they open to the public for it, ‘he said.
Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on the nursing homes and the lump sum payment.