Earlier today, three Republican state representatives in Michigan introduced an impeachment resolution against governor Gretchen Whitmer. Reps. Beau LaFave, Matt Maddock, and Daire Rendon put forth the resolution, stating that Whitmer had gone well and beyond their constitutional authority during the pandemic.
Whereas, In responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Gretchen E. Whitmer has acted in conflict with her constitutional duties as Governor. She has exceeded her constitutional authority, violated the constitutional rights of the people of Michigan, issued orders that are not in the best interests of the people of this state, and used the Pandemic as an opportunity to reward political allies. These actions are a matter of public record, primarily in the form of executive orders and the enforcement thereof; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives, That Gretchen E. Whitmer, Governor of the state of Michigan, is impeached for corrupt conduct in office and for crimes and misdemeanors.
However, House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican, has made it clear the impeachment will not advance in the House while he is the Speaker.
“It’s no secret that I have disagreed with this governor. I have debated a lot with this governor. I have many differences with how the governor has handled COVID. We have a time and place to deal with differences — that’s at the ballot box. The voters of the state of Michigan will have a chance to choose in 2022,” Chatfield said in a statement, “Republicans are not the party of people who impeach just because they disagree with someone. We just saw that in Washington. We’re not going to do that in the state of Michigan. With the facts that we have, the impeachment resolution is not going to get a vote on the House floor. It’s not the right way to deal with this situation or this disagreement.”