Internal Emails Contradict Michigan Governor’s Story on Controversial Coronavirus Contracts
Article written by Collin Anderson in "The Washington Free Beacon":
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer's (D.) office gave the
"green light" on a coronavirus-related contract awarded to a Democratic
consulting firm that worked for her campaign, according to internal
emails obtained by Bridge Magazine.
The documents contradict the Whitmer administration's
public statements denying any knowledge of the lucrative deal, as well
as the Democrat's attempt to blame the state health department when
controversy over the contact tracing contract erupted. The emails also
reveal that agency officials expressed doubts about the purpose of the
contract and raised questions about the players enlisted to carry out
the collection of sensitive health data from Michigan residents.
In fact, the documents show that Whitmer's office asked the
health department to change the names of the organizations listed in
the announcement to appear less partisan. Both vendors in question, the
liberal NGP VAN and local Democratic consultant Mike Kolehouse's firm,
Kolehouse Strategies, had affiliated entities with names less likely to
raise eyebrows. Kolehouse, for example, also runs an organization called
Great Lakes Community Engagement, and Whitmer's office asked that the
health department contract with that entity rather than his consulting
firm.
"We got the green light from EOG [executive office of the
governor] to move forward with a slightly different organizational
arrangement of the contact tracing volunteer work," health department
senior adviser Andrea Taverna wrote. "This would still be working with
Mike Kolehouse, so work there isn't lost—it's just organized somewhat
differently."
Whitmer, a potential vice presidential candidate, canceled the contract hours after the Washington Free Beacon revealed that NGP VAN had served as a vendor on her gubernatorial campaign. She blamed
the decision on the state's health department, claiming that the agency
"moved forward with the vendor" on its own and did not seek approval
from the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) and Whitmer's
executive office. A health department spokeswoman previously told the Free Beacon
that neither the SEOC nor Whitmer had a role in the contract, but
internal emails reveal that officials from both offices signed off on
press releases discussing the contract.
"Looks good," SEOC spokesman Dale George said on April 18
in response to a draft press release discussing the contract awarding
process. "Fine with SEOC/JIC." When the state announced the contract
with Kolehouse's Great Lakes Community Engagement two days later,
Whitmer communications director Zack Pohl suggested that the subsequent
press release should "hit the fact that it's used by [the Michigan
Nonprofit Association] again" in an effort to downplay the
organization's partisan ties.
The emails emerge as Whitmer faces accusations of hypocrisy
stemming from her rigid shutdown order. The Democrat admitted Tuesday
that her husband tried to use her name to take the family's boat on the
water for Memorial Day weekend even as her administration cracked down
on boating during the pandemic lockdown. According to GOP state senator
Tom Barrett, Whitmer's office first "adamantly denied" the accusation.
Whitmer called it "a failed attempt at humor" during a Tuesday press
conference.
Neither Whitmer's office nor the state's health department responded to requests for comment. A Whitmer spokesperson told Bridge Magazine
that the contract was "ultimately approved" by officials in the health
department and not the executive office. But emails from agency staffers
show that the administration played a role in moving the arrangement
forward.
In an email sent to health department officials just days
before the contract was canceled, Taverna said that Whitmer's office
gave the "green light" after altering the announcement to list Great
Lakes Community Engagement instead of Kolehouse Strategies. Both are
assumed names of Kolehouse's consulting firm, K2K Strategies. Taverna
noted that while both entities are "owned and staffed by the same
individuals," Great Lakes Community Engagement "serves non-profits." Its
top client is Fair and Equal Michigan, an LGBTQ advocacy group with
ties to Michigan Democratic politics.
One health department official, senior deputy of financial
operations Farah Hanley, questioned the difference between Great Lakes
Community Engagement and Kolehouse Strategies in an April 17 email.
"Same organization but a different name?" she said.
Taverna also said the state would list Every Action VAN on
the contract instead of NGP VAN. The two groups share top leadership,
but Every Action VAN works with nonprofit organizations, while NGP VAN
serves Democratic campaigns. Every Action VAN's other clients include
Planned Parenthood and the radical anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for
Peace.
The emails also show that health department officials
questioned the contract days before it was signed. Kolehouse was set to
earn nearly $200,000 from the contract, which some within the agency
believed to be redundant.
"$21,000 a week and a pre pay for a firm to do where we
should be using employees sitting at home," Hanley wrote to Elizabeth
Hertel, the health department's senior deputy director.
"Why are we spending money on this instead of trying to
work with google or Microsoft on tracing through smartphones," Hertel
responded. "This seems a bit antiquated."
The Free Beacon previously reported
that the governor's office has an existing data storage contract with
Microsoft, and other state agencies use Salesforce products for similar
purposes. The states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts announced
partnerships with Salesforce for contact tracing projects in early
April.
Whitmer has risen to national prominence during the
coronavirus pandemic thanks in part to an April feud with President
Donald Trump. The attention landed her on presumptive Democratic nominee
Joe Biden's vice presidential shortlist, and Whitmer confirmed on May 19 that she had an "opening conversation" with the Biden campaign on the VP role.
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