(WXYZ) — Former Michigan Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon said his abrupt resignation from the Whitmer administration on Jan. 22 was a surprise to him.
Gordon appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday after the committee voted to subpoena him.
Gordon and the governor were both criticized for entering into a confidentiality agreement to pay Gordon $155,000 and six months of health care coverage in exchange for not suing the state.
Gordon, who is an attorney, said he did not intend to sue the state as he was an at-will appointee of the governor.
Some members of the committee said the agreement, which has since been dropped, may violate the Michigan Constitution.
At one point during his testimony, Gordon became emotional, saying he moved to Michigan from Washington D.C. to do this job for two years and worked around the clock during the pandemic with protesters in front of his house.
View the full testimony below:
