State AG declines GOP request to probe nursing home deaths

LANSING (AP) - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Monday declined Republicans' request to investigate whether nursing home orders issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer led to COVID-19 deaths or if related data is inaccurate, citing a lack of evidence that any law was violated.

There are allegations that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration falsified figures to downplay deaths in nursing homes.

"But the situation here is completely different," Nessel, a Democrat, wrote to Sen. Jim Runestad, who had asked for an investigation along with seven other GOP senators. "I am aware that Gov. Whitmer's office complied with the (Department of Justice) information request and have no reason to doubt the accuracy of that response - much less suspect intentional misrepresentations within that response."

Republicans have faulted the Democratic governor for letting recovering COVID-19 patients be admitted or readmitted to nursing homes from hospitals or other nursing homes, potentially putting other residents at risk.

The Whitmer administration has said her orders, which - among other things - required the creation of dedicated coronavirus units within certain nursing homes and established regional "hub" homes with COVID-19 wings, followed federal guidance.

Nessel said suggesting that public health policy decisions by themselves should be investigated because different approaches could have resulted in fewer deaths is "inappropriate" and violates ethical guidelines.

Runestad accused the attorney general of abdicating her responsibility and said legislative committees had been unable to get data from the state.