Federal officials are investigating a possible regulation violation on the part of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during her March trip to Florida to visit her father.
The Michigan Democrat flew on a private jet from Lansing, Michigan, to West Palm Beach, Florida, to spend the weekend with her ailing father from March 12 to March 15, WDIV-TV reported.
On Monday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that her trip did not follow the travel guidelines issued on Feb. 22.
The MDHHS guidance asked travelers to receive a PCR viral COVID-19 test one to three days before heading out of state and three to five days after they return home.
Michigan residents were also advised to self-quarantine for seven days after returning from their trip.
WDIV reported that the governor had bypassed the self-quarantine and that the governor’s office would not give out specifics on when she was tested.
The governor’s office told WDIV that the guidelines were not executive orders and Whitmer had followed all orders.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced it was investigating the case Tuesday morning.
“We confirmed that Air Eagle does not have a Part 135 certificate,” an FAA spokesperson told WDIV.
Monday reports said that the Detroit company that owns the plane Whitmer used for travel does not have the certificate to legally operate charter flights.
“It’s premature to conclude that a violation of federal aviation regulations occurred,” the spokesperson continued.
“The FAA is looking into the matter.”
Prior to her trip, Whitmer had warned Michiganders against traveling to Florida.
“Michigan and Florida are not next to each other. But this is the time in the year that snowbirds come home from Florida, where people are going on spring break, and all of these things can contribute to spread,” she said on the NBC program “Meet the Press.”
“That’s why we’re imploring people to take this seriously, mask up, get tested.”
Michigan Republicans have said that Whitmer’s trip was a “blatant display of hypocrisy.”
“Gretchen Whitmer’s blatant display of hypocrisy is an insult to every single Michigander impacted by her lockdown orders and travel warnings,” Michigan Republican Party Communications Director Ted Goodman said, according to WILX-TV.
“Not only did Whitmer and her top staffers vacation to Florida, but they tried to keep it a secret because for Whitmer, it’s — rules for thee, but not for me.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
