{"id":602550,"date":"2021-07-26T11:06:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-26T15:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=602550"},"modified":"2021-07-26T11:06:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T15:06:36","slug":"are-the-doj-and-media-letting-gretchen-whitmer-get-away-with-covid-19-nursing-home-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/are-the-doj-and-media-letting-gretchen-whitmer-get-away-with-covid-19-nursing-home-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"Are The DOJ And Media Letting Gretchen Whitmer Get Away With COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fare-the-doj-and-media-letting-gretchen-whitmer-get-away-with-covid-19-nursing-home-deaths%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=602550&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/E5A0B6A5-8723-4104-BCF1-3FC4867F0745-scaled-e1627155214561.jpeg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>As part of its Friday news dump, the Biden administration\u2019s Justice Department announced that it would not investigate four Democratic governors who instituted policies which allegedly led to the deaths of tens of thousands of nursing home patients from COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ\u2019s Office of Legislative Affairs informed Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) that it would not launch an \u201cinvestigation of any public nursing home facility within New York, Pennsylvania, or Michigan at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Governors Andrew Cuomo, Phil Murphy, Tom Wolf, and Gretchen Whitmer required nursing homes in their respective states to admit patients who tested positive for COVID-19, despite the elderly being among the most susceptible to the virus. Last August, Trump Justice Department officials&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/breaking-justice-department-seeking-data-from-states-that-implemented-policies-mandating-nursing-homes-couldnt-reject-coronavirus-patients\">requested data<\/a> to determine whether the governors\u2019 orders \u201cmay have resulted in the deaths of thousands of elderly nursing home residents\u201d in those four blue states.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProtecting the rights of some of society\u2019s most vulnerable members, including elderly nursing home residents, is one of our country\u2019s most important obligations,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/department-justice-requesting-data-governors-states-issued-covid-19-orders-may-have-resulted\">said<\/a> then-Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband at the time.<\/p>\n<p>But the Biden DOJ announced that it had closed the matter. \u201cWe have reviewed the information provided by these states along with additional information available to the Department\u201d and declined to take action, the Biden DOJ wrote to Scalise in a letter on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is the justice for nursing home victims and their grieving families?\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/07\/23\/doj-drops-civil-rights-probe-of-cuomo-nursing-home-covid-scandal\/\">asked<\/a> Rep. Scalise, the ranking Republican on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.<\/p>\n<p>While the Justice Department officially called off its investigation, the nation\u2019s media seemingly did so long ago \u2014 especially as it pertained to Michigan\u2019s governor, Gretchen Whitmer.<\/p>\n<p>Like Cuomo, Gretchen Whitmer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/michigans-gov-whitmer-now-under-fire-for-states-covid-19-nursing-home-policy\">ordered<\/a>&nbsp;her state\u2019s nursing homes to admit COVID-positive individuals, paying them $5,000 per patient for their trouble. The official state tally lists <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/records-covid-19-nursing-home-deaths-may-have-been-undercounted-michigan\">5,600 nursing home deaths<\/a> from COVID-19, approximately 30% of the state\u2019s total deaths from the virus.<\/p>\n<p>But this number appears to significantly undercount COVID-19 deaths stemming from Whitmer\u2019s orders for two reasons: Many facilities are not required to report their COVID-19 deaths, and the state has not used data from death certificates to gain a more complete count.<\/p>\n<p>An investigation from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mackinac.org\/the-problem-with-michigans-numbers-on-covid-19-deaths-at-nursing-homes\">found<\/a> that using the official cause of death may have raised the state\u2019s number of COVID-19 nursing home deaths by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deadlinedetroit.com\/articles\/28073\/leduff_clueless_--_michigan_doesn_t_know_true_nursing_home_death_toll_from_covid\">44%<\/a>. That would mean an additional 3,100 such deaths statewide.<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer has remained defiant, refusing Republicans\u2019 requests to answer questions about her policy\u2019s potentially deadly impact before Congress last summer and telling lawmakers to \u201crefrain from encroaching on the sovereign power of a state government to deal with state matters.\u201d Rep. Scalise accused her of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/gop-reps-say-whitmer-stonewalling-requests-to-testify-over-michigan-nursing-homes\">stonewalling<\/a>\u201d at the time.<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer also raised eyebrows in March, when she gave state health director Robert Gordon a nine-month severance package, in return for signing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/what-is-whitmer-trying-to-hide-whitmers-health-director-got-payout-in-confidential-deal-after-resignation\">confidentiality agreement<\/a> which silenced him from disclosing the reason he was let go. The muzzling came as Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido was considering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/breaking-prosecutor-indicates-criminal-charges-possible-against-gretchen-whitmer-over-nursing-home-deaths\">filing charges<\/a> against Whitmer for reckless endangerment or willful neglect.<\/p>\n<p>But thus far, the governor has wriggled free of legal jeopardy at the state level. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/after-whitmer-ally-rejects-call-for-investigation-gop-hints-at-funding-special-prosecutor\">shut down<\/a> talk of investigating her close ally\u2019s handling of nursing homes in March. And Whitmer dismisses criticism of her performance as a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/gov-whitmer-claims-layer-of-misogyny-behind-threats-criticisms-against-her\">layer of misogyny<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While a few news outlets ran news that the Biden administration would not probe these Democratic states, their readers would be hard-pressed to know why the issue mattered. Google searches reveal that not a single story focusing specifically on Whitmer\u2019s nursing home orders has appeared in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+covid-19+site:washingtonpost.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;ei=hIP7YNn_GsGutQagmr-4DQ&amp;start=0&amp;sa=N&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjZ0a7c3PrxAhVBV80KHSDND9c4HhDy0wN6BAgBEDg&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732\">The Washington Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+covid-19+site%3Anytimes.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=sYP7YPOvNoiGtQbIypmIDA&amp;oq=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+covid-19+site%3Anytimes.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGAFQx3VY33tgynxoAXAAeACAAbsBiAG6BpIBAzQuM5gBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrAAQE&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwizzITy3PrxAhUIQ80KHUhlBsEQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\">The&nbsp;New York Times<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+order+deaths+covid-19+site%3Areuters.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=8IP7YJ-KJpi_tQbi2a-ICA&amp;oq=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+order+deaths+covid-19+site%3Areuters.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAM6BwgAEEcQsANKBAhBGABQzkJYmU1g-U1oAXACeACAAfMBiAHJDpIBBTguMy4zmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesgBCMABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwifwvmP3frxAhWYX80KHeLsC4EQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\">Reuters<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+order+deaths+covid-19+site%3Anbcnews.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=EYT7YIKaJcW6tAb8x7KIBg&amp;oq=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+order+deaths+covid-19+site%3Anbcnews.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGAFQm31YwYQBYISHAWgBcAB4AIABgQGIAfcEkgEDNi4xmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjC5taf3frxAhVFHc0KHfyjDGEQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\">NBC News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+order+deaths+covid-19+site%3Aabcnews.go.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=e4T7YMq1FISF9PwPp7S84Aw&amp;oq=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+order+deaths+covid-19+site%3Aabcnews.go.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGAFQpXRYsokBYN6KAWgBcAB4AIABhwGIAdsEkgEDNi4xmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiK34vS3frxAhWEAp0JHScaD8w4ChDh1QMIDg&amp;uact=5\">ABC News<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+order+deaths+covid-19+site%3Acbsnews.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=XIT7YPD2PMrXtAaK15yoBg&amp;oq=%22whitmer%22+%22nursing+home%22+order+deaths+covid-19+site%3Acbsnews.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAM6BwgAEEcQsANKBAhBGABQzW9YhHRg4XRoAXACeACAAbIBiAGvBZIBAzMuM5gBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrIAQfAAQE&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjwlNDD3frxAhXKK80KHYorB2U4ChDh1QMIDg&amp;uact=5\">CBS News<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Awashingtonpost.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=UYX7YMn6N9C0tAbEsoHQBw&amp;oq=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Awashingtonpost.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGAFQ3dwBWND4AWCQ-QFoBnAAeACAAewBiAGwEpIBBjEwLjkuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrAAQE&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiJ57S43vrxAhVQGs0KHURZAHoQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\">Yet<\/a> every <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Anytimes.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=LoX7YJvyKsiUtAaGsJCoBA&amp;oq=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Anytimes.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGAFQz4YCWP2LAmDgjAJoAXAAeACAAbYCiAH_CJIBBzEuNS4wLjGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6wAEB&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwibwc-n3vrxAhVICs0KHQYYBEUQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\">one<\/a> of those news <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Areuters.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=D4X7YNrgD424tAb0q7HYBA&amp;oq=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Areuters.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGAFQibkBWILsAWD77gFoBXAAeACAAXmIAcAKkgEEMTMuM5gBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrAAQE&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiapNCY3vrxAhUNHM0KHfRVDEsQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\">outlets<\/a> ran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Anbcnews.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=-YT7YJylBJTJtQaY54MI&amp;oq=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Anbcnews.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGAFQ4JYBWP2dAWDYngFoAXAAeACAAdgBiAGMBZIBBTYuMC4xmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjchYaO3vrxAhWUZM0KHZjzAAEQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\">at least<\/a> one article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Aabcnews.go.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=jYT7YIbCMNbQtQb38LWoBQ&amp;oq=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Aabcnews.go.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGABQqOQBWITrAWD_6wFoAHAAeACAAZABiAHnBZIBAzguMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrAAQE&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjGvPLa3frxAhVWaM0KHXd4DVUQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\">denouncing<\/a> the COVID-19 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Acbsnews.com&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;biw=1415&amp;bih=732&amp;ei=rYT7YO7AAdeqtQafuLKoAw&amp;oq=desantis+deaths+covid-19+site%3Acbsnews.com&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANKBAhBGAFQwKsEWMDJBGDFygRoAXAAeACAAXmIAaIGkgEDNi4zmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiuy-Tp3frxAhVXVc0KHR-cDDUQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\">policies<\/a> of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R).<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer had been considered a rising star inside her party. The Democratic Party chose Whitmer to deliver the official&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/who-is-gretchen-whitmer-michigan-governor-tapped-by-dems-for-state-of-the-union-response\">response<\/a> to President Donald Trump\u2019s 2020 State of the Union address, and President Joe Biden reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/report-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer-still-in-talks-to-be-bidens-vp\">considered<\/a> Whitmer as his vice presidential running mate. The shadow hanging over her nursing home order, coupled with her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/whitmers-husband-asked-for-special-treatment-in-getting-boat-on-water-after-she-urged-people-to-not-go-to-area-report-says\">serial<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/whitmer-may-face-multiple-investigations-over-her-private-flight-to-florida\">violations<\/a> of her own&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/gov-whitmer-considers-extending-michigan-lockdown-to-punish-protesters\">harsh lockdown orders<\/a>, have already eroded her popularity in the state and could halt her national political ambitions.<\/p>\n<p>Apparently, Gretchen Whitmer\u2019s political career is one COVID-19 casualty the media could not bear.<\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As part of its Friday news dump, the Biden administration\u2019s Justice Department announced that it would not investigate four Democratic governors who instituted policies which allegedly led to the deaths &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-602550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=602550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=602550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=602550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=602550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}