Michigan state Rep. Steve Johnson is calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to investigate a fake line of patients waiting to be tested for coronavirus in a CBS News report.
BREAKING: @Project_Veritas has just received a copy of the letter State Rep. Steve Johnson(@johnson4rep) sent to @GovWhitmer demanding a formal investigation into the @CherryHealthMI scandal that appeared on @CBSNews.
Rapidly developing: https://t.co/bHSWdGLNO8#ExposeCBS pic.twitter.com/CP3q75x5Fj
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) May 8, 2020
Writing May 8, Johnson said, “I am calling on you today to instruct the necessary agencies in the State of Michigan to open a formal investigation into the incident that took place at Cherry Health.”
On Wednesday, Project Veritas published a report claiming CBS News and Cherry Health had staged a fake line of cars to appear as though there were demand for coronavirus testing.
BREAKING: Insider Reveals @CherryHealthMI & @CBSNews Staged FAKE #COVID19 Testing Line on @CBSThisMorning
“We knew they(CBS) were coming, had no clue we were going to have to like do FAKE PATIENTS” – RN, Cherry Health
“There were real patients which made it worse”#ExposeCBS pic.twitter.com/tA4LoS7P22
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) May 6, 2020
“Apparently the news crew wanted more people in the line because they knew it was scheduled,” an individual identified as Nick Ross said in the Project Veritas report.
“We knew they were coming,” an unnamed registered nurse said in the video. “We had no clue that we were going to have to, like, do fake patients.”
In the Project Veritas undercover video, staffers said they “pretended” to test patients for the CBS crew to film.
The news outlet denied any knowledge of the false report, instead pointing the finger at Cherry Health.
Tasha Blackman, CEO of the organization, denied any knowledge either.
“Though the Project Veritas report claims the CBS video showing a line of cars was staged; to my knowledge CBS This Morning did not stage any part of their visit, and I did not instruct any of our staff to get in their cars as part of the line of vehicles,” she said, WWMT reported.
An employee of Cherry Health told Breitbart News employees were encouraged to watch the CBS News report when it aired.
“Cherry Health is a taxpayer funded entity,” Johnson noted in his letter, “and as such should receive proper oversight.
“This has only amplified the growing negative national attention Michigan has received.”
Johnson ended, “I demand you take immediate and decisive action and prevent such behavior from happening again.”
Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also the host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” found on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.
