Ex-health director gets $155,000 in separation agreement

LANSING (AP) - Former Michigan Department of Public Health and Human Services director Robert Gordon will receive more than $155,000 as part of a separation agreement, published reports revealed Monday.

The agreement calls for Gordon to drop all claims against the state, though it was not immediately clear what claims may have been included.

It also promises legal assistance in matters relating to actions he took while director. Gordon resigned in January after signing a new employment agreement the previous October that included a $182,000 salary, according The Detroit News and the Free Press.

The agreement for $155,506.05 is dated Feb. 22. It's signed by Gordon and Mark Totten, chief legal counsel for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

It was not revealed why he was leaving at the time of his resignation.

However, he resigned shortly after the Michigan Supreme Court effectively invalidated many of Whitmer's executive orders pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Gordon issued essentially the same mandates under state laws unaddressed by the court.

The director's decision to step down during the pandemic prompted questions, but the governor repeatedly avoided giving direct answers when asked whether she requested he resign.

However, the separation agreement says if asked, the state will say Gordon voluntarily resigned.

Gordon on Monday declined to comment on the agreement.

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