If there is nothing to cover-up, Whitmer and Gordon should stop hiding behind a hush-money legal agreement.
March 12, 2021
If There’s Nothing To Hide Whitmer Should End Confidentiality Clause With Former Health Director
Governor Gretchen Whitmer paid the state’s former health director, Robert Gordon – who executed shutdown orders and oversaw the controversial nursing home policies – $155,506 in taxpayer money to remain silent after he abruptly departed his position. Whitmer has refused to discuss Gordon’s departure, recently citing the separation agreement saying, “there are terms to it and you can’t share every term to it.”
If there is nothing to hide, legal experts say Whitmer and Gordon could amend the separation agreement to allow for transparency. The former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan tweeted: “If there’s nothing to hide about Robert Gordon’s departure, then the parties could amend the separation agreement and remove the confidentiality clause. There is no legal reason why they couldn’t do that.”
MLive reports that Whitmer misrepresented the use of separation agreements.
MLive: “Whitmer said separation agreements like Robert Gordon’s are ‘used often’ in state government, they’re not.”
“According to experts and state records, separation agreements and severance pay for high-ranking state leaders have not been commonly used in Michigan state government or in governments generally.”
Gov. Whitmer used taxpayer money to buy the former state health director’s silence and it’s time for her to amend the hush-money agreement and provide transparency. Gordon authorized state shutdowns and oversaw nursing home policy during the pandemic. If there is nothing to cover-up, Whitmer and Gordon should stop hiding behind a hush-money legal agreement. – Tori Sachs, executive director of Michigan Rising Action