Gov. Whitmer Forced to Drop Hush Money Agreement with Outgoing Health Director Gordon After GOP Pressure; Questions Remain
Questions Remain as Additional Secret Deals and Hush Money Agreements Have Been Doled Out at the Expense of the Taxpayers
LANSING, MICH—Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was forced to waive the confidentiality portion of a secret deal made with Robert Gordon, the former director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), after the Michigan Republican Party exposed the secret deal and called for it to be nullified.
“We are pleased that our efforts forced the governor to waive this confidentiality agreement, but very serious questions remain,” said Ted Goodman, Communications Director for the Michigan Republican Party. “Michiganders deserve to know why Mr. Gordon left, and why a confidentiality agreement was required in the first place—our loved ones who died in nursing homes deserve answers that Attorney General Dana Nessel is now refusing to provide.” (RELATED: AG Nessel Refuses To Seek Answers on Nursing Home Deaths; Chooses To Protect Crony Whitmer Instead)
News that Whitmer and Gordon will waive the confidentiality portion of the agreement raises additional questions regarding other separation agreements. The Michigan Republican Party is calling on Whitmer to drop the confidentiality portion of the separation agreement with Steve Gray, who served as Unemployment Insurance Agency director, before receiving an $85,000 hush money agreement.
Michiganders also deserve to know what legal claims, against the State of Michigan, Gordon believes the $155,000 payment induced him to waive. If there is a legal claim he’s been induced to waive, there’s a serious problem with Gov. Whitmer’s governance. If there was no claim he could reasonably believe he was induced to stay quiet about, then why was the hush money agreement made?
The Michigan Republican Party, led by State Rep. Steve Johnson, State Rep. Matt Hall and State Sen. Jim Runestad, held a press conference Tuesday March 2 demanding that the secret agreement be dropped.
Send all media inquiries to Ted Goodman, communications director, at tgoodman@migop.org.