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<\/p>\nPeter D’Abrosca
\nThe Michigan Star<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Once again, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) finds herself in hot water after a photo surfaced showing her breaking her own social distancing rules at an East Lansing bar over the weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe group shot of 13 individuals appeared to violate the governor\u2019s restaurant capacity order issued May 15 on \u2018gathering limitations for entertainment establishments, recreational establishments, and food service establishments,’\u201d according to\u00a0Breitbart,\u00a0<\/em>which first obtained the photo.<\/p>\n That\u00a0rule<\/a>\u00a0mandates that \u201cConsumption of food or beverages is permitted only in a designated dining area where patrons are seated, groups of patrons are separated by at least 6 feet, no more than 6 patrons are seated together (at a table, booth, or group of fixed seats), and groups of patrons do not intermingle.\u201d<\/p>\n The group was dining at the Landshark bar in East Lansing.<\/p>\n Also pictured was Whitmer\u2019s newly-appointed chief operations officer, Tricia Foster.<\/p>\n Foster was\u00a0busted<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Breitbart<\/em>\u00a0traveling to Florida for spring break with her teenage children in April, after her boss\u00a0warned Michiganders against traveling to Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n Caught red-handed, Whitmer was forced to apologize.<\/p>\n \u201cThroughout the pandemic, I\u2019ve been committed to following public health protocols,\u201d Whitmer told\u00a0the Detroit News<\/a>\u00a0Sunday. \u201cYesterday, I went with friends to a local restaurant. As more people arrived, the tables were pushed together. Because we were all vaccinated, we didn\u2019t stop to think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn retrospect, I should have thought about it. I am human. I made a mistake, and I apologize,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n But Whitmer has not \u201ccommitted\u201d to following public health guidelines during the pandemic.<\/p>\n She is currently fighting off a scandal after she ignored Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines in March, and flew to visit her ailing father in Florida.<\/p>\n Further, she took the trip just before warning Michiganders against traveling to Florida, and warned those who may be returning to Michigan from Florida for the spring and summer.<\/p>\n The trip was paid for by Michigan Transition 2019, a nonprofit that\u00a0raked in millions<\/a>\u00a0after Whitmer\u2019s 2018 election. The organization paid more than $27,500 for the private chartered flight, which is both ethically and legally questionable. Whitmer insists she paid her own way, spending $855 in personal funds on the trip.<\/p>\n The company that chartered the flight, Air Eagle LLC, also might not have been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to charter flights.<\/p>\n Whitmer is set to\u00a0ease COVID restrictions<\/a>\u00a0on June 1, following public pressure.<\/p>\n She ditched a prior plan that would have required a certain percentage of residents to be vaccinated before the state reopened, which was originally targeted for July 1.<\/p>\n \u2013 \u2013 \u2013<\/p>\n Pete D\u2019Abrosca is a contributor at\u00a0The Michigan Star<\/strong>\u00a0and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>. Email tips to\u00a0dabroscareports@gmail.com.<\/em><\/p>\n