After national criticism, Whitmer's campaign to pay for Florida flight

Months after Michigan governor flew on a secret trip to Florida, state residents are starting to find answers.

by Scott McClellan | The Center Square

Published: May 28, 2021 11:30am

Updated: May 30, 2021 8:50am

(The Center Square) -

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's campaign committee will pay for her flight to Florida in March to visit her father after she initially attempted to use a nonprofit to charter the flight through a separate company.

The flight sparked an Federal Aviation Agency investigation, because the jet company was not authorized to operate charter flights.

Whitmer will also pay travel costs for her daughters, who flew back with her, according to Christopher Trebilcock, the legal counsel for her campaign and the Michigan Transition 2019 organization. Trebilcock made the revelations in a letter to House Oversight Chairman Steve Johnson.

Whitmer's campaign will pay PVS Chemicals of Detroit for the $27,521 cost Florida flight as well as the $22,670 cost of private travel by plane to President Biden’s inauguration in January.

The change in payments came after the conservative Michigan Rising Action filed a complaint against Whitmer with the Internal Revenue Service, alleging the governor illegally used a nonprofit to fund a personal flight.

Whitmer's security detail accompanied her to and from Florida between March 12 and March 15, a detail previously undisclosed. Previously, her office had said the governor’s trip was “two full days or less.”

On Thursday, PVS Chemicals President David Nicholson said co-chairman James B. Nicholson granted Whitmer's request to use the plane because of safety concerns, but she’ll be the last politician allowed to fly on the jet.

The company will follow a "newly created policy to deny all requests to fly candidates or government officials."

"Our highest priority when interacting with any government official, or representative of government, is to follow the highest standards dictated by both ethics and the law," Nicholson said. "Over the past few weeks, we took the position that questions about this flight would be best addressed by the governor’s office. We still believe the outstanding questions are the purview of the governor’s office."