The state of Michigan Tuesday said it would select a different vendor and software platform for the management of thousands of data points related to Michigan's coronavirus contact tracing project.
The change comes after Republican operatives criticized the choice of a software company with connections to dozens of Democratic candidates to manage the data. Public health officials use contact tracing to identify individuals who may have come into contact with an infected person and subsequently collect more information about them, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The contract should have been approved by the State Emergency Operations Center, but was not, said Tiffany Brown, a spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
GOP state Rep. Shane Hernandez of Port Huron sent a letter Tuesday to Whitmer questioning the use of the company.
“I want to know how Gov. Whitmer’s administration decided to hire this company without a competitive bid process, or letting the Legislature — charged with ensuring accountability within state government — know about it,” said Hernandez, chairman for the House Appropriations Committee. “I want to know what safeguards the governor has in place to ensure the information gathered during this COVID-19 response doesn’t wind up in the hands of any campaigns."
Anonymous wrote:
Tim is very talented -- but didn't he go to college with Gretchen at Michigan State University, he lives near her, and just published a puff piece essay about her in Politico Mag? He is shamelessly jockeying for insider access on the campaign trail if she's VP and a book deal ($$$).
Anonymous wrote:
Tim is very talented -- but didn't he go to college with Gretchen at Michigan State University, he lives near her, and just published a puff piece essay about her in Politico Mag? He is shamelessly jockeying for insider access on the campaign trail if she's VP and a book deal ($$$).