Reports: Gov. Baker Calls for Resignation of Jonathan Gruber From Health Connector Board
WBZ-TV’s Jon Keller reported Wednesday that Gov. Charlie Baker demanded and received resignations from four members of the Massachusetts Health Connector board.
According to reports, the resignees were John Bertko, Rick Jakious, George Gonser, and Jonathan Gruber, all of whom served under former Gov. Deval Patrick. Gruber, a professor of economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is perhaps most notable in this group for advising the Obama administration in the creation of the Affordable Care Act. Prior to that, he advised then-Gov. Mitt Romney in developing health care reform in Massachusetts. The New York Times even nicknamed him ‘Mr. Mandate.’ Gruber was the only member out of the four who was appointed by Gov. Romney.
In recent months, Gruber has been covered in mainstream national media for public speeches where he seemed to be boasting that “lack of transparency [about the law] is a huge political advantage’’ about deceiving the public with regard to the Affordable Care Act. He was called in for questioning by a Congressional panel, during which he apologized for his “glib, thoughtless, and sometimes downright insulting’’ comments.
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Baker’s move, and his future appointments, establish him in majority control of the state health insurance exchange board as the end of the state’s open enrollment season approaches this week.
“All that was communicated to me is that the governor would like to have his own set of people on the Connector,’’ Gruber told The Boston Globe.
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