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Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

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A man speaking at a podium with an official seal.

A man speaking at a podium with an official seal.

Michigan GOP to Probe Whitmer $155K ‘Hush Money’ Deal as new Severances Emerge

John P. Pelissero, Ph.D., senior scholar at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, quoted on Bridge Michigan.

While separation agreements and salary payouts can be common at private companies and nonprofits, they are “not the norm” in the public sector, said John Pelissero, a senior scholar in government at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. 

The confidentiality clause in Gordon’s agreement raises ethical concerns because it does not allow the public “to know why the payout of salary took place,” Pelissero said.

“These are public tax dollars and the public interest tends to be served better when transparency is present,” he said. “Not disclosing such presents the appearance that something is being hidden from the public.”

John P. Pelissero, Ph.D., senior scholar at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, quoted on Bridge Michigan.

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