Did Rudy Giuliani Infect 30 People In the Michigan Statehouse?

Reprinted with permission from DailyKos

Despite the surge in COVID-19 cases across the United States, Donald Trump and his minions seem not to care how many more people are infected. In the latest of Trump infections, Trump's sidekick and personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Dec. 6. While allies of Giuliani maintain he tested negative days before meeting state officials in not one but three states last week, some states have reported infections within days after Giuliani's visit.

Nearly 30 staff members and lawmakers at the Michigan House tested positive for COVID-19 this year alone, a spokesperson told NBC News Wednesday. While the timing of the infections is not clear, the report comes just four days after Giuliani, who testified in the state House maskless, tested positive.

Of the 30 individuals who tested positive, about eight are representatives and 21 are staffers, Gideon D'Assandro, communications director and press secretary for Michigan's House speaker, told NBC News. Giuliani had visited the Republican-held House Oversight Committee regarding Trump's failed attempt at claiming he won Michigan. As a result of an employee complaint of "possible workplace violations" because of a lack of masks and social distancing, an investigation has been opened in the House, according to NBC News affiliate WDIV. While the hearing was limited to 50 people, Giuliani was also reported to not be the only one without a mask. Some lawmakers not only lacked masks but sat close to the Trump attorney.

According to the Detroit News, Giuliani even encouraged some individuals wear masks to remove them. "Would you be comfortable taking your mask off so people can hear you more clearly?" Giuliani reportedly asked Jessy Jacob, a city of Detroit employee who helped with the election. The revelation of Giuliani's test results not only garnered criticism of how Michigan's House has been handling the virus, but of how many individuals had been tested for the virus prior to the meeting.

On Sunday, Michigan Rep. Darrin Camilleri of Brownstown Township tweeted that it was "time to get tested."

"Not only was the Rudy show dangerous to our democracy, but it also was a threat to our health," Camilleri said. "We knew it was a bad idea, but my Republican colleagues in the state Legislature pushed on anyway — endangering all of us in that hearing room and the Capitol."

According to Linda Vail, health officer for Ingham County in Lansing, it is very likely that Giuliani was contagious during his Dec. 2 testimony and that those in attendance should quarantine, WDIV reported. With the lying streak Trump and his associates have maintained, who knows the truth of when Giulini knew of his infection. Besides, carriers of the virus can test negative at the start of exposure.

Following the pattern of the Trump administration in downplaying this virus, Giuliani too has disregarded safety regulations in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus and continuously been spotted without a mask. Despite recommendations by health officials to limit travel, in the last several weeks he has been traveling nationwide in an effort to spread lies of voter fraud. Due to his COVID-19 symptoms, he was recently hospitalized.

Like other states nationwide, Michigan has seen a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. As of this report, Michigan has reported at least 447,929 cases of COVID-19 and 10,699 deaths as a result, according to The New York Times database. The state has had an average of more than 6,500 cases per day over the last week.