Whitmer apologizes after photo shows her at bar violating her own order

Lansing — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an apology Sunday after a photo emerged showing her at a restaurant with 12 other people gathered around tables pushed together in violation of her health department’s current epidemic order.

The May 15 order from the state Department of Health and Human Services says no more than six people can be seated together and groups of patrons must be six feet apart. The conservative news outlet Breitbart first reported the photo Sunday.

“Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been committed to following public health protocols,” Whitmer said Sunday in a statement. “Yesterday, I went with friends to a local restaurant. As more people arrived, the tables were pushed together. Because we were all vaccinated, we didn’t stop to think about it.

“In retrospect, I should have thought about it. I am human. I made a mistake, and I apologize.”