Michigan County Board Approves Resolution to Impeach Gov. Whitmer

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during a drive-in campaign rally with Democratic presidential-elect Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama at Belle Isle in Detroit, Mich., on Oct. 31, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Members of the Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners voted on Nov. 20 in favor of introducing a resolution that would call for the impeachment of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over her handling the CCP virus pandemic.

The resolution was offered two days earlier by state Reps. Beau LaFave, Matt Maddock, and Daire Rendon, saying Whitmer should be impeached “for corrupt conduct in office and crimes and misdemeanors.”

Whitmer “has acted in conflict with her constitutional duties as Governor” during the COVID-19 pandemic by issuing orders that exceed her constitutional authority, the resolution states.

The Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners voted 4-2 on the resolution, which will now be sent the Michigan legislature for consideration, reported WPBN/WGTU.

County Commissioner David Comai on Friday blamed the northern Michigan county’s economic crisis on Whitmer’s “unconstitutional executive orders” amid the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, according to the news outlet.

Stephen Carra, who won a race for a state House seat in the Nov. 3 election, told The Epoch Times this week that there’s a real possibility that Whitmer will be impeached, with even some Democrats voicing reservations about Whitmer’s pandemic orders.

But an impeachment would require a majority vote in the state House, and House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican, said he doesn’t support the effort.

“It’s no secret that I disagree with a lot of what this governor has done. I’ve debated the governor all year long. I’ve even taken the governor to court and won, because of how she dealt with COVID-19, but Republicans are not the party that impeach someone because we disagree with them,” he told WWMT.

He said any attempts to impeach the Democratic governor “with the current set of facts” would be “on the same level” as the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, which he described as “shameful.”

“We’re not the party that impeaches someone because we’re upset with policies that they’ve enacted,” Chatfield said. “I thought it was shameful what the Democrats did to President Trump last year, and I would assume that any attempt by Republicans right now, with the current set of facts that we have to impeach the governor, would be on the same level.”

Rep. LaFave had a different view. He said in a statement on Wednesday that he has “watched powerlessly as the governor has used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to trample over the constitutional rights of Upper Peninsula families and the great people of Michigan.”

“This is absolutely the last thing I want to do, but I would be betraying my conscience and oath of office to defend the Michigan Constitution by ignoring such blatant misconduct,” he said.

The resolution came days after Whitmer announced new restrictions aimed at curbing the transmission of the CCP virus, warning against large gatherings during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Beginning Wednesday, the latest restrictions mandate that only two households are allowed to gather indoors at a time, while up to 25 people can gather outdoors. Eat-in dining at restaurants and bars have been suspended, and high schools and colleges across the state have suspended in-person classes.

Gyms remain open for individual exercise with strict safety measures in place. Casinos, movie theaters, and group exercise classes have been closed. All business have been asked to allow employees to work from home where possible.

The order lasts until Dec. 9.

Even if the resolution was passed in the House, two-thirds of the state Senate would need to vote to convict Whitmer on the articles of impeachment.

Whitmer’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.