Something shady is going on in Michigan and the mainstream media seems to be turning a blind eye to the obvious tall-tale signs of a problem. During a super-secret closed-door deal, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s health department director resigned and reportedly took a payoff. Multiple sources say that shortly after his resignation, Robert Gordon received a $155,506 pay off but no one knows why.
“The agreement is the clearest evidence yet that the split between Gordon, a central figure in the state’s response to COVID-19, and Whitmer was not amicable, and it shows the Democratic administration used taxpayer funds to ease his departure,” The Detroit News reported. “On Feb. 22, one month after Gordon resigned without explanation, he and Mark Totten, Whitmer’s chief lawyer, signed the four-page agreement. The state agreed to pay Gordon a total that represents nine months of salary and health benefits, and he released the state from any potential legal claims.”
The Michigan Republican Party responded to the news by calling it “inexcusable,” and asking, “What is @GovWhitmer trying to hide?”
Top state-level Republicans sounded the alarm over the move in statements provided to Fox News.
“We’re still investigating the things the Whitmer Administration has done during COVID in plain sight, when we find out about a secret payoff behind closed doors,” state Rep. Steve Johnson, chair of the Michigan House Oversight Committee, said. “While it doesn’t surprise me, the deception is shocking and shows how badly this Administration needs oversight so they can be held to account.”
No questions asked:
Detroit News also reported that Mark Trotten, the governor’s chief legal counsel immediately accepted Gordon’s resignation, which is not standard practice.
Dennis Muchmore, former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s ex-aide, told The Detroit News he could not remember a separation from that administration that had “cash involved.”
“Sometimes, we would give them a couple of weeks of vacation at the end, but most all of the ones I can remember always had time coming to them,” Muchmore told The Detroit News. “I don’t know of any cash involved.”
This is inexcusable. What is @GovWhitmer trying to hide? https://t.co/ZfFv2ERBfv
— Michigan GOP (@MIGOP) March 2, 2021
Feeding suspicions, Whitmer refused to answer reporters when asked if she had anything to do with Gordon’s resignation. She simply said she’s looking forward to working with the next health department director but offered no insight as to what went wrong with the last one. Her office declined to comment on the reported payoff which should be a crime considering sources say the money used came from taxpayers.