Is Bob Ficano Corrupt?

[rjk]

So how long will it take the feds to investigate this?

Anyone think Ficano has even a slight chance to be re-elected?

[boneshaker]

What the FBI was going to do with Dearborn Mayor Guido, is about to happen to Ficano. Regarding the money and possible money laundering... the trail goes to South Lebanon.No one in Michigan is going to touch this. I applaud Rep. Olumba for giving it a whack, but he's "going to need a bigger boat".....This mess is going to be huge people.. heads up...

[reddog289]

The more I think about this deal, I agree. The stuff is gonna hit the fan.

[cramerro]

I can't believe how this is unfolding. I mean I can, but there's a decent chance IMHO that this house of cards is going to fall, and hard. I have always had some concrete and not-so-concrete reasons to think that they have a whole new machine running there.

The politics in my Redford Township are a microcosm of Wayne County... when I first moved there, my first exposure to it was an election for supervisor and trustees where they were running as a team. Team Handy. Plastered everywhere. Handy as supervisor and 4 of his teammates as trustees. He and three got elected, which gave his team the upper hand in all votes of the Township board, which they all reminded the everyone of all the time. If nothing else, what a blatant slap in the face to objective, independent decision making by our elected officials. Maybe it was just my first real exposure to local elections... someone tell me if I'm in the wrong here.

Fast-forward a few years, and Handy's backwards way of getting things done were just a little too much for the voters to handle. He lost to our current super by about 200 votes, who was a former Team Handy member... she ran on the platform "Trust Tracey." He's since weaseled his way into a vacated trustee spot and is poised to run for supervisor again.

How is this relevant? Handy got a $92,000/year job with Ficano as some upper level manager in the Dept of Public Services about 1 week after he lost the election. All this gives me a little extra pause for "hmmmmmm" when I see stories like this in the news. Things that you'd say, "naw, they'd never actually do that," ... aren't so inconceivable.

I'll be interested to see how far this goes. It seems to me that the State AG should be looking into this as well, especially if the FBI is really focusing on mostly the letter-gate aspect of it. I commend Mr. Ulumba for having a backbone, even if he did seem to be playing it up a bit for some press.

[Gannon]

I'd simply like to study campaign literature and endorsements forensically...building a family tree of those brought INTO the game and supported by our old friend and honored airport namee...Edward McNamara. We follow that money line, catch the associations, and we've got the whole FBI subpeona listing in a nutshell. It will include Jennifer Granholm, and a few others who somehow kept the McNamara stench from being too overwhelming...and even a few veneered opponents, who were put in the mix as controlled opposition and cover.

Say...like the fellow we're talking about here.


I'm only guessing...but would be happy to do some research, if someone can tell me where this stuff is catalogued.

Cheers!
John

[Scottathew]

The politics in my Redford Township are a microcosm of Wayne County... when I first moved there, my first exposure to it was an election for supervisor and trustees where they were running as a team. Team Handy. Plastered everywhere. Handy as supervisor and 4 of his teammates as trustees. He and three got elected, which gave his team the upper hand in all votes of the Township board, which they all reminded the everyone of all the time. If nothing else, what a blatant slap in the face to objective, independent decision making by our elected officials. Maybe it was just my first real exposure to local elections... someone tell me if I'm in the wrong here.

Sounds just like Warren.

In Warren we have Jim Fouts as Mayor. He's going to win in a landslide. However, he's using his political clout to pick the entire council. His council candidates are going to win every single ward. The only seats he might not get are the at-large council seats, but he's still in a position to win those as well.

The result will be a mayor with his hand-picked council that was funded into office by the Mayor rubber stamping everything he wants.

When Mayor Fouts was elected four years ago he immediately hired everyone that was closely involved with his campaign into various, and often high paying positions with the city.

In some instances, people actually had their campaign loans paid off by getting a job with the city. Such as with the person that made all of Fouts' campaign signs for free. Fouts CTE never paid him a dime, but he sure did get a high paying job with the city.

Well, now Warren is spending 10 million dollars more than it takes in each year. Our once 30+ million dollar fund balance is almost gone. We will be bankrupt or facing huge tax hikes.

Unfortunately the voters don't care enough. All the old senior citizens love Fouts because they know his name, and simply attaching his name to other candidates will get them elected.

[boneshaker]

The Detroit News is finding nuggets. Harrington convicted of embezzlement... his wife sells house to Turkia's sister Mariam for $2.5 million.. couple years later, Mariam sells house.. appears someone is trying to "wash" this money..Also. 891 McDonald Dr in Northville needs to be examined. Detroit Achdiocese bought from Turkia and her sister... Edmund Szoka now lives there...Turkia's trips to South Lebanon also needs investigating......http://www.detnews.com/article/20111...--blasts-media

[Detwa]

So why can't the AG investigate along with the FBI? Why does one have to exclude the other?

[boneshaker]

The AG has it right.. too many people here in Michigan are tainted by this corruption, including a few prominant Republicans. The FBI will all its power is better equipt to handle this mess. This investigation will include foreign countries as well. Off shore bank accounts, is something the AG cannot investigate.Olumba... you need a bigger boat.......

[R8RBOB]

Why do politicians play dumb when they get busted? I think I mention this in another thread but no paper pusher is going to act recklessly unless they have the go-ahead from the man or woman in charge.Turkia Mullin got $200,000 because Robert Ficano said she could. If those two people he suspended and the guy he fired gave her the money without his say-so then they should be charged with misappropriation of funds and embezzlement but they won't. I wonder what the FBI will find.

[boneshaker]

Oh........ dah... pain..........Here comes the calvary.......http://www.clickondetroit.com/techno...12/detail.html

[Detwa]

This is major - they don't usually conduct searches this quickly!!! Isn't this unusual?

ETA: My Breaking News email title said that the FBI raided Ficano's office but when I went to the site and read the story, they did not take anything, just served subpoenas. Drats.

[Detwa]

Haha, famous last words of Steve Fishman - "I have no reason to believe that Ficano is the target!" Is this like in the defense lawyer's handbook?

Anyway, how long until Ficano declares that he is unable to afford his defense and asks for a court appointed lawyer, so the taxpayers can pay for Fishman?

[Det_ard]

Maybe just trying to stay one step ahead of the shredding machine?

[GPCharles]

Let's see the text messages and emails...

[JBMcB]

This is major - they don't usually conduct searches this quickly!!! Isn't this unusual?

Subpoenas. They were probably already investigating the department and are using the current investigation as an excuse to subpoena a bunch of people.

[Gistok]

Let's see the text messages and emails...

LOL... now that would be funny...

[boneshaker]

well... looks like Mitt Romney is going to need some new people.. Rakolta about to get the boot from his campaign....follow the money trail to south Lebanon via many American stooges.... 891 McDonald Dr. Northville, MI Turkia and Mariam sold to Detroit Archdiocse. Edmund Szoka lives there now.. Look out...

[MikeM]

Ficano appointees cash in lucrative severance deals

40 Wayne Co. employees obtained as much as half a year's pay for leaving

Christine MacDonald and Mike Wilkinson/ The Detroit News

Detroit —Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano has crafted a special severance plan for about 300 county political appointees that could pay them almost a half-year's salary if they quit around election time.

The payouts of up to 24 weeks' pay are unprecedented among Metro Detroit governments and provide further ammunition to critics who say Wayne County operates by its own, lucrative rules.

Ficano unveiled the plan in December, and 40 appointees got windfalls this spring when they took the severances as well as a separate early retirement offer. A spokeswoman for Sheriff Benny Napoleon said the plan could be considered "excessive." Prominent labor attorney Deborah Gordon called it a "sweet deal."

"There seems to be a pattern here of giving his appointees these very generous perks that you rarely see in the public sector," said Gordon, who called the payouts a severance.

"This could be very costly to the county," she added.


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111020/...#ixzz1bL2XPIaT

[Danny]

Robert Ficano should be impeached for his unethical stunt he pulled out of the taxpayers expensive. Do vote for him next year!

[Blueidone]

Saw a story on Fox Detroit last night and this morning about some other "goings-on" with sweetheart deals. Something tells me it's far from being over.

[boneshaker]

yeah... as I said before.. going to need a bigger boat....the players involved include many prominent business leaders, clergy, elected officials, foreign governments, overseas bank accounts...Nasrallah and Fadllallah are the receipt holders of taxpayer money being routed to South Lebanon.

[boneshaker]

found this gem:8 Parkside Court, Dearborn MIaccording to register of deeds.. current owner is Azzam and Charlene Elder, purchased in 12-2009 from Dearborn judge William Hultgren and his girlfriend Julie Pucci for $400,000+also know Dearborn Fire Department labeled a fire at 8 Parkside Court in November 2008 as "suspicious" when Judge Hultgren owned this house.Hhmmm.............

[Novine]

Hey boneshaker, if you're going to come here and make accusations, try putting them into complete sentences and provide some context while you're at it. Random claims mixed in with the stuff that sounds like you wear a tin foil hat and believe in black helicopters aren't helping your credibility.

[boneshaker]

Sorry Novine...http://www.pressandguide.com/article...e=defaultState Police later could not conclude what caused the fire. Dearborn still labeled it as suspicious.He then sold this house to Azzam Elder.Those are the facts.