LANSING, Mich. (Great Lakes News) – The Michigan Republican Party filed a complaint with the state over Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s reelection campaign paying for her use of a private jet to fly to Florida in March.
The law lets elected officials use political funds for incidental expenses incurred while carrying out government work.
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However, Gov. Whitmer has always classified the trip as personal since the story broke, and referred to her father as “chronically ill.”
Later documents revealed Whitmer’s security detail joined her.
In addition, Whitmer said through her attorney that she will pay for the flight she and her daughters took to President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson could levy a fine if she finds a violation.
Whitmer’s trip came at a time when she urged Michiganders not to travel to Florida for spring break amid a so-called surge in COVID-19 cases in Michigan. During those pleas to stay home, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Elizabeth Hertel spent time in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Upon returning, her department issued mask mandates for toddlers and preschoolers.
Trish Foster, Whitmer’s COO in charge of rolling out the vaccine in Michigan also traveled to Florida for spring break, posting pictures on Facebook while her teenage son recovered from COVID-19 at home.
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