(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) named Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) our June 2020 Porker of the Month for abusing her power during the coronavirus crisis.

Beginning on March 10, 2020, and continuing throughout the ensuing months, Gov. Whitmer issued an unsavory 118 executive orders for the state and local governments, individuals, and businesses in response to the pandemic.  The orders were excessive, contradictory, and confusing.  For example, Gov. Whitmer banned the sale of seeds and plants from nurseries and greenhouses to grow food at home but allowed grocery stores to continue selling fruits and vegetables.  She initially allowed pet grooming services to reopen, but not hair salons.  The governor is also pushing expensive new programs while leaving small businesses behind.

CAGW President Tom Schatz said, “Gov. Whitmer’s abuse of power during a worldwide pandemic is shameful and insulting to Michiganders.  She is taking advantage of a crisis to promote an agenda that hurts taxpayers and local businesses.  She is picking winners and losers by randomly deciding who can open and who must remain closed, as thousands of small businesses remain desperate for the chance to recover from unprecedented losses.  Her messages have sometimes been demeaning, as she told everyone to ‘Google how to do a haircut.’  She is also asking for a federal bailout for the state’s $3.2 billion budget deficit but refuses to dip into the rainy day fund or propose a single budget cut.  For all of these reasons, Gov. Whitmer is a worthy winner of this month’s Porker of the Month award.”

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.  For more than two decades, Porker of the Month is a dubious honor given to lawmakers and government officials who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers.

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