For Immediate Release
May 1, 2020
Contact: Wes Nakagiri
New Findings Uncovered in Whitmer’s Contact Tracing Scandal
Hartland, MI – New findings uncovered in Governor Whitmer’s contact tracing scandal have been reported by Livingston County Commissioner Wes Nakagiri. His report is attached to this news release.
Of most significance, Nakagiri’s report found that Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI), the non-profit company that issued the contact tracing contact, on behalf of the State of Michigan, is not bound by HIPAA regulations under certain circumstances. MPHI states they may use and disclose your Personal Health Information without your permission in special situations. Specifically, MPHI’s Notice of Privacy Practices states, “We may use or disclose information about you in order to avert a serious threat to health or safety.”
“It is no surprise, as we peel back this onion of corruption, we find the Whitmer Administration could care less about the confidentiality of personal health information. Selecting MPHI is additional evidence of this,” said Nakagiri. “After all, her administration was comfortable with storing private health information in a Democrat voter database. That is, until they got caught.” Nakagiri continued, “We’ve been repeatedly told how serious the Coronavirus is to our health. So, it falls squarely within MPHI’s notice permitting it to disclose our personal information. It is troubling to see the Whitmer Administration use a charity to do their political dirty work”
Nakagiri’s findings also challenge Governor Whitmer’s veracity when she said, “I do know that the Department of Health and Human Services doesn't have a political bone in their theoretical body,"
Nakagiri’s report chronicles political contributions from Whitmer’s top two leaders at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to Democrats. Contributions made to individual candidates have been exclusively to Democrats, including Governor Whitmer’s gubernatorial campaign. Additionally, several MPHI leaders have given political contributions exclusively to Democrats. The most reliable Democrat donor is the Chief Financial Officer for MPHI. She has given 8 political contributions to Whitmer’s gubernatorial campaign.
“Clearly both MDHHS and MPHI have partisan political bones—favoring Democrats,” said Nakagiri.
Also included in his report, MDHHS personnel have stated that “There were meetings, calls and other business development conducted since April 1 to discuss the state's contact tracing needs and what a contact tracing project could entail." This indicates the start date for planning for this contact tracing scheme began on April 1, 2020.
However, Nakagiri produced a Facebook post proving that the scheme was already in full bloom at least two days earlier, on March 30. “How much scheming was done prior to the issuance of a full contract deserves much more investigation,” said Nakagiri.
Nakagiri’s report also lists 22 questions he thinks should be answered to provide a fuller accounting to Michigan citizens.
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