LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Justice Department will not open a civil rights investigation related to COVID-19 deaths in Michigan's nursing homes.
The notification to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday came nearly 11 months after the department's Civil Rights Division requested data from the Democratic governors of four states, including Michigan, and said it was considering whether to investigate under a federal law that protects the rights of people in public nursing homes.
Most nursing homes are privately owned. Republicans have criticized Whitmer for allowing recovering COVID-19 patients to return to nursing homes, but she has said doing so complied with federal guidance.
