Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer's former campaign manager says he resigned after someone he worked with on a previous political campaign reported he had said manipulative and insulting things to the person and had "communicated inappropriately" with others.
Keenan Pontoni issued a statement Friday, a day after Whitmer said she asked for and received his resignation.
Pontoni says the "allegation as presented to me does not match up with the facts as I know them." The allegation stems from a campaign he worked on early in his career.
He says he resigned "so that I'd not become a distraction to the Whitmer campaign," and he is proud of the team and culture "we built together" at Whitmer's campaign.
In a statement Whitmer said she received a credible report that Keenan Pontoni engaged in inappropriate behavior in the workplace a number of years ago.
Statement: "Yesterday, I received a credible report that a number of years ago, my campaign manager engaged in inappropriate behavior with people in the workplace and for that reason I have asked for and received his resignation effective immediately."
Pontoni had been running Whitmer's campaign since August. Whitmer is not releasing any further details.
She is among four main Democrats running for governor. Dana Sherry has been named interim campaign manager.
