Gov. Whitmer’s trip to visit sick father could pose ethical issues

No government funds were used for travel, Whitmer says

DETROIT – New developments into Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s trip to visit her dying father in Florida suggest she allegedly flew on a private jet to get there and back.

If she did fly on a private jet, who paid for it?

The Governor’s Office said it will not speak about her travels due to security concerns.

University of Detroit Mercy’s legal ethics expert Larry Dubin said if she did fly on the private jet, it could mean ethics trouble.

“It could potentially divide your loyalty to what you owe your state as governor verses what you might owe a third party who has given you something of value,” Dubin said.

The Governor’s Office is not commenting if she flew on the plane.

A plane owned by a company called Air Eagle flew from Detroit to Lansing to Florida and back in March. Air Eagle also released no comment on the plane’s use.

The address for the plane’s ownership comes up as the address of Detroit company PVC Chemicals, whose chairman is Jim Nicholson, who is partnered in Air Eagle with Ambassador Bridge company owner Matthew Maroun and the Cotton family.

Private air travel costs thousands of dollars. If Whitmer was on this flight, how did she pay for it? The only details Whitmer released was that no government funds were used.

Dubin said Whitmer isn’t helping matters by not directly addressing the potential use of the private plane.

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About the Author:

Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Planner™ Professional.