The East Lansing bar Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was photographed visiting on Saturday will not face repercussions for its violations, according to a local health official.
Linda Vail, the health officer for Ingham County, confirmed to the Washington Examiner that the Ingham County Health Department received a complaint that the Landshark Bar & Grill violated coronavirus health protocols when “a party exceeding six guests was allowed to gather” but said the matter has since been resolved. Vail said all “noncritical restaurant complaints” are initially treated as “education/consultation for the owner/manager” and that the bar in question had no history of similar complaints.
“ICHD does not initiate enforcement action unless there is a repeated violation after consultation/history of similar issues,” she said. “Regarding this complaint, ICHD Environmental Health consulted with the owner of The Landshark Monday morning. The matter is considered resolved given conversation with the owner, and the owner’s assurance that parties will be limited to no more than six guests in the future.”
GRETCHEN WHITMER PUTS LIVES AT RISK BY DINING IN LARGE GROUP AT INDOOR BAR
Whitmer was spotted at the bar last weekend when a photograph emerged showing the governor and several others, who were not wearing masks, with their tables pushed close together. The arrangement violated the state’s Department of Health and Human Services May 15 order mandating all parties be separated by 6 feet.
The Michigan Democrat apologized after the photo surfaced.
“Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been committed to following public health protocols,” she said. “Yesterday, I went with friends to a local restaurant. As more people arrived, the tables were pushed together. Because we were all vaccinated, we didn’t stop to think about it. In retrospect, I should have thought about it. I am human. I made a mistake, and I apologize.”
Following Whitmer’s apology, the state rescinded the rule. Michigan’s new COVID-19 regulations, which go into effect June 1, will forgo the previous rule that restaurant and bar tables must be limited to six people, with tables being 6 feet apart, the state Department of Health and Human Services said Monday.
Other members of Whitmer’s staff have been also accused of violating the state’s COVID-19 guidance. Reports indicated that multiple aides to the governor, including Elizabeth Hertel, the director of Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services, and Tricia Foster, the governor’s chief operating officer, traveled out of state last month despite April 5 guidelines issued by Hertel warning would-be travelers that “travel increases your chance of spreading and getting COVID-19.”
“We recommend that you do not travel at this time,” the Michigan HHS travel advisory said, which remained in effect during both trips. “Delay travel and stay home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.”
Whitmer’s recent use of a private plane to travel out of state also attracted scrutiny, with some state Republicans saying there may need to be an inquiry into the financial arrangements behind her trip to her father.
“We will be issuing a letter to Governor Whitmer with specific questions related to her junket to Florida. Based off the response we receive, the Oversight Committee will consider doing hearings on this scandal,” Rep. Steve Johnson, the chairman of the Michigan House Oversight Committee, said in an email to the Washington Examiner. “The people of Michigan deserve answers on what the Governor is trying to hide and why.”
After Whitmer’s chief of staff JoAnne Huls said earlier this month that the administration used “a chartered flight for this trip,” a Federal Aviation Administration representative said Detroit-based Air Eagle, the company whose plane brought Whitmer to Florida and back, doesn’t hold a certificate authorizing charter-type services.
It’s premature “to conclude that a violation of federal aviation regulations occurred,” a statement from the FAA reportedly said. “The FAA is looking into the matter.”
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Representatives for Whitmer defended the arrangement, with Bob Leddy, a spokesman for the governor, arguing that Whitmer needed secure transportation, Air Eagle was able to provide it, and the trip costs were covered.
Michigan has diagnosed nearly 990,000 cases of COVID-19, with more than 20,000 statewide deaths attributed to the disease, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
