Dreams do come true: Monica Conyers offered plea deal.

[kraig]

Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sources: Monica Conyers mulls plea deal in City Hall corruption case

Leonard N. Fleming, Paul Egan and Darren A. Nichols / The Detroit News

Detroit --Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers has been offered a plea deal by the federal government in connection with a corruption investigation at City Hall, four sources with knowledge of the deal confirmed.
The feds have told Conyers they want an answer by the end of today, but the wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers hasn't made up her mind, sources said. The bribery-related charge that Conyers could plead to carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, although she probably would receive less time.
Two sources who have spoken with Conyers said she is reluctant because she doesn't want to serve time in jail.
Steve Fishman, Conyers' attorney, declined to comment.
Conyers was not identified in federal court documents or by developer Rayford W. Jackson when he pleaded guilty Monday to bribery conspiracy charges in federal court, but sources say Conyers is the official known as "Council Member A."
Jackson pleaded guilty to paying more than $6,000 in bribes to an unnamed member of Detroit City Council in connection with a $1.2 billion sludge contract approved in late 2007. He admitted to using a courier on four separate occasions to deliver bribes to "Council Member A" -- the same council member that former Synagro official James R. Rosendall Jr. earlier admitted to bribing.
Conyers, who showed up to the regularly scheduled meeting City Council meeting, declined to speak to reporters and was primarily silent during the meeting except to pitch a community event this afternoon. She looked worried.
After Conyers left the meeting, Councilman Kwame Kenyatta said he hoped those involved in the scandal are identified soon. He said he's upset about being lumped in with someone who's allegedly taken a bribe.
"It was an affront to all of us who don't do business that way, and it's incumbent upon us to speak up," Kenyatta said. "Hopefully we're moving toward conclusion, but not fast enough. If you say there's a cloud, a council member A, B, or C, then we need to know who that is. If not, it looks as if it's all of us and could be an indictment on all of us."
Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr. told reporters after the session that he wants indictments to move quickly.
"The bottom line is this whole Synagro issue has been out there some time. I'm of the mindset of whatever they've got, bring it," Cockrel said.
"I know in my experience with federal investigations, they tend to be slow and meticulous, but when they come, they come like a ton of bricks. My feeling is if they are going to come like a ton of bricks, they ought to come now."
lfleming@detnews.com [[313) 222-2072


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[bailey]

The question of course will be if that has any impact on her re-election.

[Brittz]

Bailey she should not be re-elected. I think felons can't be on the council.

[GREENTROIT]

I'm so excited. I hope she doesn't take the deal. It want this to drag out so we can get some quality Monica time on TV.

[lilpup]

Is it going to end with MonCon?

[GREENTROIT]

Hell no. Kwame Kilpatrick and Bernard Kilpatrick are right on deck. Kwame will be back in Detroit to face charges very soon.

[R8RBOB]

If Councilwoman Conyers had any respect for her position, the council and the city she would resign her position as a councilperson immediately. To allow the remaining council members to be painted with the same dirty brush is disrespectful. The government should have name Council Member A, a long time ago. She is a just another crooked politician who got caught. No favors should not be given because she is the wife of a Congressman. She broke her oath so if she has to go to jail, so be it.

[professorscott]

R8rbob,

Starting a sentence with "If Councilwoman Conyers had any respect for her position" is exactly like starting a sentence with "If there were unicorns", "if pigs could fly", "when the Lions win the Super Bowl", etc.

Once you start with such a fantastic premise, any conclusion is reasonable

Prof. Scott

[thnk2mch]

She will probably plea, get 120 days, serve 99

[rjlj]

She showed she has no respect for the position, the council and the city a long time ago. She even showed up to the city council meeting today for business as usual, how delusional is that?

[R8RBOB]

She will probably plea, get 120 days, serve 99

Not for accepting bribes will she get 120 days. This is the federal government, not Wayne County. Right about now, she wish it was Kym Worthy handling this.

[Sstashmoo]

He paid 6,000 dollars gratuity for a 1.2 Billion dollar contract. Does anyone actually believe that? That is a very small amount for such a large contract. I like their math though. As when Kwame wound up a quarter mil over on his city Visa card, he brought a check for 9,000 and everything was ok.

[kraig]

He paid 6,000 dollars gratuity for a 1.2 Billion dollar contract. Does anyone actually believe that? That is a very small amount for such a large contract. I like their math though. As when Kwame wound up a quarter mil over on his city Visa card, he brought a check for 9,000 and everything was ok.

Don King's philosophy. "To a person that's never had anything $50,000.00 cash means more than a million dollar promissory note."

In this case, if you want a better class of criminal, you need a better class of corrupt politicians.

[jita1]

Is it going to end with MonCon?

LOL @ "MonCon". Hadn't heard that before.

[softailrider]

Hell no. Kwame Kilpatrick and Bernard Kilpatrick are right on deck. Kwame will be back in Detroit to face charges very soon.

And you know this how?

[R8RBOB]

He paid 6,000 dollars gratuity for a 1.2 Billion dollar contract. Does anyone actually believe that? That is a very small amount for such a large contract. I like their math though. As when Kwame wound up a quarter mil over on his city Visa card, he brought a check for 9,000 and everything was ok.

If "Council Person A" would have started a bidding war for their vote perhaps "she" could have demanded a bigger slice, nevertheless, Council Person A got paid for simply voting yes.

[rjlj]

A minium of $6,000, the other amounts have not been admitted to.

[THE FURY 617]

Yeah Monica "ghetto" Conyers!! All to bulls**t you put this city trough from your outburst to Crockel to the Cobo deal,FBI is bring you DOWN [[doing the urkel dance).

[jt1]

I hope they throw the book at her.

[GREENTROIT]

And you know this how?

Well in James Rosendall's plea, Kwame and Bernard were both cited among a few others [[Monica Conyers, Rayford Jackson, Akunna Olumba, Sam Riddle, Derrick Miller, etc.) They were never publicly named, but it has leaked that Kwame was referred to as "City Official A", or something like that. Just as it was leaked that Monica Conyers was "City Council Member A." Just connecting the dots...

[R8RBOB]

A minium of $6,000, the other amounts have not been admitted to.

I think everyone knows that Ms. Conyers got more than 6G's. Remember Jackson is pleading out so he needs only to discuss the issues that is on his indicment. He stated he has no desire to snitch so you know he isn't going to disclose the total amount of money he has used to bribe.

[Doma]

If Councilwoman Conyers had any respect for her position, the council and the city she would resign her position as a councilperson immediately.

I laughed so hard I cried after reading that statement.

[Gannon]

If Councilwoman Conyers had any respect for her position...

that IS the funniest thing I've heard all day. Thanks for the belly buster!

[MCP-001]

After she's arrested and placed in general population, then I'll share the sentiment above.

I still see her given a slap on the wrist, which is standard punishment for politicians in Michigan.

Can't treat her like everyone else.

[Bobl]

Perhaps this is why John Conyers' staff has nicknamed her "Ghetto".
If she's a good girl, will she qualify for meals delivered from Fishbones, like Kwame?