Holcomb ‘Blindsided’ By Rokita Claim On COVID Stats
By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews
INDIANAPOLIS – A political storm has erupted between two of Indiana’s top Republican elected leaders over COVID-19 statistics issued by the Indiana Department of Health.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita raised eyebrows earlier this month in an interview with a South Bend television station in which he questioned the validity of statistics issued by the state on COVID-19.
The health department’s COVID-19 dashboard, which carries updated statistics associated with the pandemic, has been the go-to source for public information on the impact of the virus.
Rokita raised the issue after he was asked how he justified speaking out against vaccinations.
“Well, you know, first of all, I don’t believe any numbers anymore,” Rokita said. “And, I’m sorry about that, but this has been politicized.”
He went on to say that the issue “has been politicized since day one.”
He then reiterated those concerns in a thread on Twitter, saying he stood by his earlier comments.
On Wednesday, Dec. 29, during a state briefing on COVID-19, Gov. Eric Holcomb was asked about Rokita’s comments.
“I will say that I was stunned and somewhat blindsided by the attorney general when he said he didn’t trust any information. Because that, to me, hit home,” Holcomb said.
He also suggested anyone who thinks the cases are fraudulent should contact the Indiana Inspector General about any alleged fraud.
Rokita responded by tweeting, “This isn’t about fraud at this point, it’s about inaccurate numbers and political agendas causing doubt.”
Such attacks on the credibility of a sitting governor and his administration by a fellow Republican leader are especially rare, but the two men have had previous disagreements on the handling of the pandemic that is currently in court.
Indiana’s Democrat Party weighed in on the issue and defended Holcomb on Twitter, calling Rokita a bully.
It read: “Give credit where it’s due: Good on @GovHolcomb for standing up to Indiana’s top bully. However, the @indgop’s partisanship on #COVID19 created this problem we find ourselves in. The only way out of COVID is to get vaccinated. Please get your shot.”