Gov. Gretchen Whitmer left the state more than a month ago to visit her elderly father, who suffers from a chronic illness, a spokeswoman confirmed Monday after MIRS News reported the trip.
‘In the last six months, she has left the state three times, once for the inauguration, once to assist her elderly father who is struggling with a chronic illness and once with the troops of the National Guard in Michigan. “All the trips were very short, two days or less, followed the public health guidelines closely and were carried out when Michigan’s daily positivity rate was in the low single digits,” said Tiffany Brown, director of communications at Whitmer.
The trip was not a spring break, Brown said, and Whitmer did not leave the state for more than a month. Brown said the office would not comment further on the governor’s personal schedule.
It is not clear exactly when or where Whitmer traveled, but at a press conference in April 2020, the governor referred to her father in the state of Florida.
Whitmer’s father has been fully vaccinated and the governor has never tested positive for COVID-19, Brown said. The trip was not paid for at taxpayers’ expense, she added.
The news of the trip comes after two officials from the Whitmer administration, director of the Department of Health and Human Services in Michigan, Elizabeth Hertel, and chief operating officer Tricia Foster, were each criticized for vacations outside the state.
Early in the pandemic, Whitmer banned travel, also between residences in the state and after vacation rentals. It was later lifted and is not currently in place, but the state is currently recommending against travel.
Whitmer also asked residents to travel voluntarily to press conferences at various locations throughout the pandemic, including for Christmas.
Republicans were quick to criticize Whitmer’s trip.
“The blatant revelation of Gretchen Whitmer’s hypocrisy is an insult to every Michigander affected by her shutdown orders and travel warnings,” said Ted Goodman, communications director of the Michigan Republican Party.
House Chairman Tom Albert, R-Lowell, said the Whitmer government appears to be subject to a different set of rules.
‘I understand the desire to visit a sick family member, and I hope for good health for the governor’s family – but I’ve heard many stories of sad Michiganders wanting to visit sick family members during this pandemic and not yet. could not manage. , ”Albert said.
‘I do not understand how the governor likes it when she and members of her government travel outside the state, while giving the rest of us recommendations that we stay at home. How can anyone be expected to follow such guidance if the governor and her staff do not follow it themselves? ”
Michigan is currently experiencing the worst COVID-19 boom in the country, including record hospitals. Despite criticism from federal officials and public health experts, Whitmer refused to tighten state restrictions. She blamed the increase in new variants and the lack of compliance, and not a policy issue.
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