Gretchen Whitmer Defends Cuomo – Whines About ‘Different Standard’ Compared To Trump

Posted on March 15, 2021 by LifeZette

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) just spoke out to defend New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) after he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, whining that he was being held to a “different standard” than former President Donald Trump.

Whitmer Appears To Defend Cuomo

“Is there a different standard for different sides of the aisle? We just had a president who lasted all four years with numerous allegations against him, so far as rape,” Whitmer told Politico.

“No one on his own side of the aisle was making observations about whether or not he should stay in office,” she added. “So is there a different standard? I guess one could conclude that.”

Cuomo has been accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior in the workplace by multiple female former aides. Whitmer’s latest comments on his situation appear to be her backtracking from prior comments that she made, as she previously called for Cuomo to be investigated.

Whitmer’s Previous Comments On Cuomo

“I think the allegations here are very serious and need to be taken seriously and I do think that an impartial, thorough, independent investigation is merited and appropriate,” Whitmer said earlier this month.

CNN host Jake Tapper then asked the Michigan governor if she thinks Cuomo “sexually harassed (former aide) Charlotte Bennett.”

“These are serious allegations and if accurate and true, and um, I think we have to take action,” she responded, noticeably not elaborating on what “action” she wants to see be taken.

Tapper went on to ask Whitmer about her “emotional reaction” to the allegation, at which time she said that she had a “gut-wrenching” response that she thought “a lot of women in America did.”

Democrats Turn On Cuomo

Numerous Democrats have turned on Cuomo in the wake of this scandal and called on him to resign. As of this writing, Cuomo has stubbornly refused to resign, defiantly telling lawmakers that they will need to impeach him if they want him gone.

This seems like a real possibility, as New York lawmakers have already begun the initial part of the lengthy impeachment process against him.

This piece was written by James Samson on March 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Award-Winning Reporter To Sue Gretchen Whitmer Over Nursing Home COVID Data

Posted on March 2, 2021 by LifeZette

Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer got some bad news this week when a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist announced plans to sue her for the release of COVID-19 nursing home data.

Reporter Says He’s Preparing Lawsuit Against Whitmer

Seasoned reporter Charlie LeDuff revealed on Twitter that he is teaming up with Mackinac Center, a Michigan-based free market think tank, to file a lawsuit against Whitmer.

“We are preparing a lawsuit against Gov. Whitmer of Michigan,” LeDuff wrote. “She refuses to turn over COVID death data and accurate nursing home numbers to the public. All the way to the Supreme Court, Madam.”

We are preparing a lawsuit against Gov. Whitmer of Michigan.
She refuses to turn over COVID death data and accurate nursing home numbers to the public.
All the way to the Supreme Court, Madam.
Thanks to the@MackinacCenter, who has agreed to take our case.https://t.co/sH3BtfZ32m pic.twitter.com/le65xN83SP

— Charlie LeDuff (@Charlieleduff) February 27, 2021

“The public has a right to know,” LeDuff told Fox News. “Above all, the public has a need to know. We shut down the entire economy, we interrupted our children’s lives, all in the name of protecting the most vulnerable.”

“We now know this was the institutionalized elderly. If we could not protect them, at the very least we deserve an explanation from Madam Governor.”

“If there’s something more to it than that, let’s say gross incompetence or gross negligence or gross press conferences designed to cover the facts, then she needs to answer for it. As I’ve always said, the power lies with the people, not the political parties,” he continued.

Whitmer’s office declined to comment when contacted by Fox.

Republicans Demand Investigation Into Whitmer And Nursing Homes

This comes after multiple Republican state lawmakers sent a letter to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and acting U.S. Attorney General Monty Wilkinson calling for a “full investigation” into Whitmer’s handling of nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic.

These Republican legislators cited “discrepancies” in the data surrounding deaths and cases “in the state’s long-term care facilities.”

“It has now come to our attention that these reporting errors have likely not been resolved,” the Republicans claimed, adding that Whitmer’s “regional hub policy put patients with and without COVID-19 in the same facilities” and the decision to do so “may have exacerbated the death toll in those facilities.”

Andrew Cuomo In Hot Water As Well

This comes as New York’s Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing calls of impeachment for his withholding of data on nursing home resident deaths. This is only one of the problems Cuomo is facing, as multiple former aides have accused him fo sexual harassment.

This piece was written by James Samson on March 2, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Gretchen Whitmer Rebuffed By Michigan County As Residents Are Told To ‘Self-Determine’ Safety Measures

Posted on February 13, 2021 by LifeZette

A Michigan county defied Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) this week by passing a resolution that tells residents to do what is in their own self-interest when it comes to safety measures regarding COVID-19.

Michigan County Rebels Against Whitmer

Missaukee County commissioners directly went against Whitmer in saying that it is “the right and responsibility of individuals to self-determine what is best for their own health, liberty and pursuit of happiness is necessary and ensured by our Constitution, which we have taken an oath to defend and uphold,” according to meeting minutes from February 9.

“The Missaukee County Commission calls upon the Michigan Legislature to exercise their co-equal authority by adopting constitutionally sound measures which limit the unchecked exercise and abuse of executive power, which restore individual responsibility and accountability, and which return Michigan to the ranks of freedom-loving governments everywhere,” the commissioner added.

The Missaukee County Commission went on to say that it would not support county funds being used “for the purpose of arrest and prosecution of any person accused of violating” orders from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

This is the agency that Whitmer utilized when her executive orders were ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court in October.

Commissioner Speaks Out

Commissioner Star Hughston, the sponsor of the resolution, told Breitbart that the commissioners just want residents to be treated like adults, as they believe they can make their own decisions.

Hughston added that this is not about the science behind COVID-19, and is instead about whether the governor has the right to “come down with these rules.”

“No one had the right, especially her, to tell us that we have to” wear masks, close businesses, and her various other orders, he said, adding, “We are not idiots. We can decide what is best for us, and if you choose to wear a face mask and you have health concerns, then in my opinion, you would need to wear one. But if you don’t choose to wear one, then it’s your right.”

This comes one month after Chippewa County called on Whitmer to reopen the state “immediately.”

“At this point it just doesn’t make sense anymore that we’re closed,” Commissioner Scott Shackleton told 9&10 News. “Wisconsin is open for dining—in house dining. Indiana is, Ohio is, Minnesota is, and here we sit closed up tight.”

Whitmer has become infamous in many circles over the past years for enacting some of the strictest COVID-19 measures in the country on her state.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 13, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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GOP Congressman Reed Announces Plan To File Criminal Complaint Against Cuomo Aide Over Nursing Home Deaths

Posted on February 12, 2021 by LifeZette

Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) spoke out on Friday to announce plans to file a criminal complain against New York Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa after a report came out stating that she had admitted to hiding nursing home COVID-19 data so that the federal government wouldn’t find out how many people died.

Reed Attacks Cuomo

“[N]ow we have Gov. Cuomo’s second in command, essentially, on a taped confession to fellow Democratic lawmakers admitting she committed criminal activity to cover up for what they were hiding from the federal officials that were responsible to get to the bottom of this, and make sure that,” Reed told Fox Business.

“We learned what happened with the COVID-19-positive order that sent 15,000 [people] to their death that Cuomo issued back in March,” he continued. “This, obviously, cannot go unaccounted for.”

“And that’s why we were arguing this in the committee yesterday, when we demanding that transparency and accountability be part of this COVID-19 package,” the Republican said. “But, most importantly, the days of Cuomo are going to be numbered in Albany here. But, most important, we need to start with this second in command.”

“I’m demanding — I’m going to be looking at filing a personal criminal complaint against this individual, today, in local law enforcement offices, as well as federal offices,” Reed continued. “Because she needs to be arrested today. [L]et’s get this second in command arrested, hopefully today, by filing this criminal complaint.”

DeRosa Admits Cuomo Admin Hid Data

This comes after DeRosa apologized to Democrat leaders for hiding the true nursing home coronavirus death toll, saying “we froze” out of fear that the true numbers would “be used against us.”

She said in a video conference that they rebuffed a legislative request for the tally in August because “right around the same time, [then-President Donald Trump] turns this into a giant political football.”

“He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes,” DeRosa said. “He starts going after [New Jersey Gov. Phil] Murphy, starts going after [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, starts going after [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer.”

She went on to say that Trump then “directs the Department of Justice to do an investigation into us…And basically, we froze.”

“Because then we were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation,” DeRosa said. “That played a very large role into this.”

DeRosa’s ‘Apology’

Instead of apologizing to the public, DeRosa apologized to Democrats for putting them in a difficult political position.

“So we do apologize,” she said. “I do understand the position that you were put in. I know that it is not fair. It was not our intention to put you in that political position with the Republicans.”

This piece was written by James Samson on February 12, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Gretchen Whitmer Claims She ‘Can’t Stand People Who Have One Rule For Others, Different One For Themselves’

Posted on January 27, 2021 by LifeZette

Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer spoke out this week to defend her decision to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration last Wednesday. She went so far as to claim that she “can’t stand people that have one rule for others, and a different one for themselves.”

Whitmer Defends Attending Biden Inauguration

WOOD TV host Rick Albin pointed out that many felt it was hypocritical for Whitmer to travel to Washington D.C. for the inauguration when she has been urging people to not travel or gather amidst COVID-19. Whitmer, however, disagreed.

“Anyone who would have watched would have seen that we were spaced out, we were outside, and we were masked up,” she said. “So that is how we can live and enjoy some important aspects to life and stay safe. I have been following the same directives I have asked everyone else to. I can’t stand those people that have one rule for others and a different one for themselves.”

You might recall that back in May, Whitmer’s husband Marc Mallory was accused of trying to use his connection with her to get his boat back in the water faster after his wife’s lockdown closed that industry, which led to a backup.

“This morning, I was out working when the office called me, there was a gentleman on hold who wanted his boat in the water before the weekend,” company owner Tad Dowker said at the time. “Being Memorial weekend and the fact that we started working three weeks late means there is no chance this is going to happen.”

“Well our office personnel had explained this to the man and he replied, ‘I am the husband to the governor, will this make a difference?’” he added.

Whitmer Doubles Down

Whitmer, however, appeared to have forgotten all this in her latest interview.

“I have abided by these precautions but also recognize as the governor of a state — an important state — that played an important role in this inauguration having been invited and having made a decision very close to one when I had to come out here I know that this is a moment that is really important for our state,” she said.

Whitmer went on to say that she had to go to the inauguration to foster a close relationship with Joe Biden and his administration.

“This was something it was an honor to be [at], and I followed all the protocols and I encourage people to do so, as well,” she said.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 26, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Gretchen Whitmer Extends Restaurant Lockdown In Michigan Again – ‘Three Week Pause’ Now Upped To Twelve

Posted on January 15, 2021 by LifeZette

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) has extended the restaurant lockdown in Michigan once again amidst the coronavirus pandemic, upping her original “three week pause” to twelve long weeks.

Whitmer Extends Restaurant Lockdown

Whitmer announced on Thursday that she was extending her mandated closure of in-person dining at restaurants and bars until at least February 1.

“The efforts we have made together to protect our families, frontline workers and small business owners are working,” Whitmer said, according to NBC6.

Whitmer first announced this “pause” back in November, and this marks the third time that she has extended it.

“While there has been a slight uptick in our percent positivity rate, our cases per million have plateaued and more hospital beds are becoming available,” she said. “Today, we are confident that MDHHS [Michigan Department of Health and Human Services] can lift some of the protocols that were previously in place.”

“We are reopening cautiously because caution is working to save lives,” added MDHHS Director Robert Gordon told reporters.

“The new order allows group exercise and non-contact sports, always with masks and social distancing, because in the winter it’s not as easy to get out and exercise and physical activity is important for physical and mental health,” he continued. “We are glad that we made it through the holidays without a big increase in numbers, but there are also worrying signs in the new numbers.”

Restaurants Fire Back

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA), however, has already fired back at Whitmer for extending this lockdown for a third time.

“The governor’s continuation of this pause without a plan — now expanding to 75 days — is without parallel in the nation in terms of its unwillingness or inability to provide leadership to a decimated industry and its workforce,” MRLA President and CEO Justin Winslow said in a statement.

“There are more than 100,000 unemployed hospitality workers and thousands of small operators on the edge of bankruptcy all waiting for hope and direction, and once again it did not come,” he added.

“This is unacceptable and we should all demand more accountability,” Winslow continued. “Michigan stands alone as the only remaining statewide closure of dining rooms without a discernible, data-driven path to reopen and fully reintegrate in the economy.”

Whitmer has become infamous among many for enacting some of the strictest. It remains to be seen whether she will extend her lockdowns for a fourth time next month.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Michigan County Board Throws Support Behind Impeaching Gretchen Whitmer

Posted on November 25, 2020 by LifeZette

Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer got some bad news this week when a county in the northern part of her state expressed support for a resolution to impeach her that was put forth by three Republican members of Michigan’s House of Representatives.

Michigan County Votes In Support Of Resolution To Impeach Whitmer

The Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners voted four to two in favor of supporting the impeachment effort, according to Michigan Live.

Whitmer has become known for imposing some of the strictest coronavirus lockdown measures in the country on her state. Commissioner David Comai stood by the board’s decision to support the impeachment effort, claiming that Whitmer’s “unconstitutional executive orders” were to blame for Kalkaska County’s current economic crisis.

This comes days after Republican Representatives Beau LaFave, Matt Maddock and Daire Rendon issued the impeachment resolution, alleging that Whitmer was guilty of “corrupt conduct in office and crimes and misdemeanors” over her latest COVID-19 guidelines.

Today I introduced Articles of Impeachment against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The four articles of impeachment against Gov. Whitmer include failing to respect the separation of powers by exercising power granted to the legislative branch, violating the constitutional pic.twitter.com/tCr2KUZb3E

— Beau M. LaFave (@BeauMattLaFave) November 18, 2020

Michigan Speaker Of The House Defends Whitmer

Not all Michigan Republicans are behind this effort, however, as the state’s GOP Speaker of the House Rep. Lee Chatfield has spoken out against it. He described the resolution as a “distraction from the real things we have to get done in our state.”

“We’re not the party that impeaches someone because we’re upset with policies that they’ve enacted,” he said, according to Fox News.

“I thought it was shameful what the Democrats did to President Trump last year, and I would assume that any attempt by Republicans right now, with the current set of facts that we have to impeach the governor, would be on the same level,” Chatfield added.

However, Maddock said last week that he has a “growing list of Michigan Legislators” who are planning to begin proceedings to impeach Whitmer, according to The Hill.

When asked why he feels she should be impeached, Maddock claimed that the Democrat has “ignored court orders. Violated our Constitutional rights. Completely ignored due process and the legislature. Weaponized contract tracing databases to aid democrat campaigns,”

This piece was written by James Samson on November 25, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Gretchen Whitmer Blames Her Strict Lockdown Orders On Trump

Posted on November 19, 2020 by LifeZette

Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced new COVID-19 lockdown measures that would “temporarily halt in-person instruction at high schools and colleges, dine-in service at restaurants and bars, and high school athletics as well as close some businesses, including movie theaters, bowling alleys and casinos.”

Whitmer Blames Her Strict COVID Lockdown On Trump

Now, Whitmer is speaking out to effectively blame President Donald Trump for this, saying that he’s the reason she’s had to be so strict and aggressive with her coronavirus lockdown restrictions. In Whitmer’s mind, she’s only had to do this because of the lack of Trump taking action to combat COVID-19 on a national level.

“First, let me say, you know, the restaurant industry has really had a tough year because of COVID because there’s not been a national strategy and we have seen COVID just explode across the country in waves,” Whitmer said while appearing on CNN.

“This is really driven by our epidemiologists and our public health experts that tell us it’s inherently dangerous with the kind of community spread that we have all across Michigan and all across the Midwest and, frankly, all across the country,” she added.

“The inherently dangerous situations are when you are inside with people from a different household or many different households for a prolonged period of time with masks off,” the Democrat said.

“That’s what happens in restaurants, and that’s why it’s really going to be critical that the feds get their act together and give us some stimulus support for these small businesses, for these restaurant workers,” Whitmer explained.

Whitmer Doubles Down

Whitmer went on to say that while she sympathizes with business owners who will be hurt by what she is doing, she feels it is necessary.

“I have incredible empathy for what [small businesses are] struggling with, and yet we have to follow the epidemiology, the public health experts and make decisions that combat the spread before our hospitals get overwhelmed and before we hit 1,000 deaths a week in Michigan because that’s what the modeling is telling us where we’re headed right now,” she said.

Whitmer has become infamous for enacting some of the strictest coronavirus restrictions in the country from the very beginning of this pandemic. The fact that she’s now blaming Trump for this and trying to use him as a scapegoat is nothing short of ridiculous.

This piece was written by James Samson on November 18, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Michigan Lawmakers Push For Impeachment Hearings Against Gretchen Whitmer

Posted on November 17, 2020 by LifeZette

Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer got some bad news this week when state lawmakers called for impeachment hearings to be launched against her.

Republicans Move To Impeach Gretchen Whitmer

Republican state Rep. Matt Maddock took to Facebook on Sunday to say that he and several of his fellow colleagues in the GOP are seeking to hold “impeachment hearings for Governor Whitmer” in the state House of Representatives, according to WXYZ-TV. His posted listed out multiple reasons why Whitmer deserves to be impeached, claiming that she:

-Ignored court orders.
-Violated our Constitutional rights.
-Completely ignored due process and the legislature.
-Weaponized contract tracing databases to aid democrat campaigns.
-Using our kids as political pawns and denied special needs students who depend on the services that occur during in-person classes.
-Caused the unnecessary death of thousands of our vulnerable elderly who died alone and scared in nursing homes.

The Michigan Constitution allows the state House of Representatives to impeach “civil officers for corrupt conduct in office or for crimes or misdemeanors.”

Whitmer Fires Back

Whitmer’s office fired back in a statement saying that the Democratic governor “doesn’t have any time for partisan politics or people who don’t wear masks.”

“Governor Whitmer doesn’t have any time for partisan politics or people who don’t wear masks, don’t believe in science, and don’t have a plan to fight this virus,” said Whitmer press secretary Tiffany Brown. “Right now, she is focused on saving lives. The governor will continue to work hard for all 10 million Michiganders. This is about Michigan vs. COVID-19. Governor Whitmer doesn’t care if you’re a Trump Republican or a Biden Democrat. We are all in this together.”

Whitmer herself later addressed the impeachment efforts against her in a television interview.

“Part of the problem throughout this pandemic has been that there’s been so much partisanship around this public health crisis,” Whitmer said. “Unfortunately, while we’ve done a lot of outreach with the Michigan legislature, Republican leaders have shown very little seriousness around this issue.”

She went on to blast Republicans for refusing to wear masks, saying that “they don’t even know how to protect themselves.”

Over the past few months, Whitmer has become national infamous for enforcing some of the strictest COVID-19 regulations in all of America in her state. This has made her unpopular with quite a few conservatives in Michigan, so it remains to be seen just how far their impeachment effort against her will go.

This piece was written by James Samson on November 17, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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