New Raids on City Hall and Council Homes

**Meddle** · August-25-21, 02:00 PM

Will it ever end?

Detroit City Hall, Council Members' Homes Raided by FBI in Corruption Investigation

"The citizens of Detroit have a right to a city government that is free of corruption," Special Agent in Charge Tim Waters told reporters.

https://www.newsweek.com/detroit-cit...gation-1623063

**Honky Tonk** · August-25-21, 03:06 PM

Looks like we'll have two new preachers.

**Henry Whalley** · August-25-21, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Looks like we'll have two new preachers.

Say Amen Somebody!

**Richard** · August-25-21, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Will it ever end?

Detroit City Hall, Council Members' Homes Raided by FBI in Corruption Investigation

"The citizens of Detroit have a right to a city government that is free of corruption," Special Agent in Charge Tim Waters told reporters.

https://www.newsweek.com/detroit-cit...gation-1623063

No it will never end,public corruption has been around sense the words public and corruption were invented.

Just gotta stay aware and let know you are watching them.

Actually the enforcement aspect makes progress,cannot bribe a judge anymore or it is harder then it was in the past,not that I would ever attempt it.

Little light on details though so far with this one or two.

With terrorism down it must of freed up a lot of FBI agent’s because there has been a pandemic of corruption brought to light all across the country.

Its good that they are keeping them in their toes.

Cant fight city hall,but they sure can get arrested.

**Ray1936** · August-25-21, 04:57 PM

"Just gotta stay aware and let know you are watching them."

Don't matter. The more publicity they get, good or bad [[and usually bad), you guys keep electing them.

**Richard** · August-25-21, 05:41 PM

^ that’s the,good ol boy politics, where people do not vote for who they feel is best,they vote for who they are told to vote for.

Having said that Duggin has been okay and actually seems to be operating in the best interests of the city,he just seems to be on an island surrounded by others that want to be players verses shakers,looking out for their own interests and agendas.

**Hypestyles** · August-25-21, 07:58 PM

the optics are severely depressing.
I want this information exposed and before the final elections are held.

I wish it weren't so expensive to run for office in Michigan/Detroit.

**Satiricalivory** · August-25-21, 09:18 PM

Council members dropping like flies left and right.

Good, take out the trash!

**Danny** · August-25-21, 10:07 PM

Horrible, leftovers from Kwame's Parties.

**Lowell** · August-25-21, 10:18 PM

Andrew Spivey, who has been indicated, appears to be singing. Maybe this is the result?

“The searches came less than a month after federal prosecutors charged Councilman Andre Spivey with conspiracy to commit bribery. Spivey's lawyer said last month that the councilman has been cooperating with federal authorities for more than a year

“On Wednesday afternoon, a parade of about 20 FBI agents — many carrying boxes loaded into SUVs — exited city hall. Meanwhile, more agents searched the homes of Councilman Scott Benson and Councilwoman Janeé Ayers. The FBI also searched the East English Village home of Benson's chief of staff, Carol Banks.”

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...rs/5584587001/

**THE FURY 617** · August-26-21, 12:32 AM

Sad that we're going through this again. The Detroit city council has been in corruption and scandals for a very long time now and it needs to end. Remember past council members who also got busted:

Former council President Charles Pugh resigned in 2013, months after leaving city hall amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a teenage boy. In 2016, he pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges and was sentenced to 5 1/2 to 15 years in prison.
This month, Pugh was granted parole by the state’s parole board. He will be released from prison in December.

In 2006, former Detroit councilman Alonzo "Lonnie" Bates was convicted of theft and bank fraud for placing "ghost employees" on his payroll. Bates in 2007 was sentenced by a federal judge to 33 months in prison and was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and make $91,000 in restitution to the city of Detroit.

Former Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers and former Councilwoman Kay Everett also were convicted of taking bribes while in office.
Conyers pleaded guilty to corruption charges in 2010 and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for accepting money in exchange for her vote on a $1 billion sludge-hauling deal. At the time of her death in 2004, Everett was under indictment for taking a bribe from a city contractor, who flavored the deal with 17 pounds of sausage.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bullotta was instrumental in prosecuting Kilpatrick and Macomb politicians in recent years, after securing the convictions of Bates and Conyers. Bullotta, who now works as a criminal defense lawyer in Detroit, wants to believe the dozens of corruption convictions in recent years would deter public officials from engaging in illegal behavior.

**Henry Whalley** · August-26-21, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by THE FURY 617

The Detroit city council has been in corruption and scandals for a very long time now and it needs to end.

IMHO it'll never end. The hearts of politicians are home and hearth to peculation. But the world of business is equally corrupt -- a fact deducible by simple math -- since for every politician taking a bribe there's an entrepreneur giving one. If that equation ever failed, the earth would fall off its axis.

During Prohibition the hands of gangsters grew cramped and withered from handing protection money over to every politician and cop who demanded a bribe.

**Richard** · August-26-21, 10:23 AM

^ that cost millions a month in protection monies,but in Detroit’s case,when you can bribe somebody with a box a sausages?

One needs to look really hard at their choices of representatives.

Those had to be some damn good sausages in order to risk going to jail for.

I wrote Detroit,but I know the residents expect better for the most part.

**Henry Whalley** · August-27-21, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by Richard

One needs to look really hard at their choices of representatives.

At judges as well. There are some real scumbags on the courts.

**Hamtragedy** · August-27-21, 09:46 AM

Don't forget daddy's boy Gabe Leland. Just pleaded to a lesser charge taking $$$ from a slumlord who lost his building only to have Leland somehow get it back for him. It's a revolving door at CAY.

**Gistok** · August-27-21, 10:03 AM

Sigh... and here I thought thinks had to get better after Kwame and the council "Wit Sisters" [Half-, Dim- and Nit-] when Monica Conyers, Martha Reeves and Barbara Rose Collins were in office...

**Richard** · August-27-21, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Henry Whalley

At judges as well. There are some real scumbags on the courts.

They have taken a few of those down also,the problem is the ones that pay the price and suffer the consequences until they are taken down.

Power and money.

I watched a Judge say - The prosecutors are here to make a deal,anybody pleading not guilty goes directly to jail,I am tired of everybody wasting time while pleading not guilty.

Basically saying give up your rights or go to jail.

The worst part is all of the lawyers just stood around and did not bat an eye.

Maybe it is just better to pay the bribe and walk away, as justice is about who is serving it up at the time and how they personally feel.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · August-27-21, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Henry Whalley

IMHO it'll never end. The hearts of politicians are home and hearth to peculation. But the world of business is equally corrupt -- a fact deducible by simple math -- since for every politician taking a bribe there's an entrepreneur giving one. If that equation ever failed, the earth would fall off its axis.

During Prohibition the hands of gangsters grew cramped and withered from handing protection money over to every politician and cop who demanded a bribe.

Good point. Corruption, like racism is woven in the fabric of this country. Always has, and always will be....

**bust** · August-27-21, 12:16 PM

^ True, but there is much more, or much less, depending where in the country we're talking about. Detroit has the misfortune of having a lot of both.

**Henry Whalley** · August-27-21, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Good point. Corruption, like racism is woven in the fabric of this country.

Agreed.

Cincinnati bootlegger George Remus had a thousand salespeople on his payroll. Many of them were in law enforcement.

The Prohibition Bureau bugged his hotel suite when he had a meeting with 44 men. It was to work out some of the logistics of his illegal operation. All 44 were on his payroll. They included politicians, prohibition agents and federal marshals. Remus estimated that half his receipts went as bribes.

Corruption extended to the highest levels of government. The highest law enforcement officer in the country is the Attorney General. U.S. Attorney General Harry Daughtery was guilty of selling alcohol illegally and giving licenses and pardons to offenders. He also took bribes from other bootleggers.

Corruption existed both among cops on the beat and the Attorney General. It also permeated alcohol enforcement between the extremes of the top and bottom.

Sounds kinda like the war on drugs :[

**Wesley Mouch** · August-29-21, 10:02 AM

We should be proud that we have some prosecutors who are willing to take on corruption. That's a change for the better.

Coming at this from a different angle... We need to think of this as a supply and demand issue. There's always demand for goodies. People want free stuff.

We are ever-increasing the supply for goodies. While its an exaggeration, gov't once paved streets, hauled trash [[and sludge) and policed the streets. Today, we ask our government to subsidize rent and fund the arts, just for example. We want to create tax-credits for each and every constituency.

We are creating more supply.

If we want less corruption, we need to re-think whether government should be the discretionary funder of nearly everything.

**Henry Whalley** · August-29-21, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

...We want to create tax-credits for each and every constituency.

There ought to be an award for non sequiturs

**Henry Whalley** · August-29-21, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

Don't forget daddy's boy Gabe Leland. Just pleaded to a lesser charge taking $$$ from a slumlord who lost his building only to have Leland somehow get it back for him. It's a revolving door at CAY.

Municipal contracts go to the highest briber. IIRC in the film Blood Simple [[1984) Private Detective Loren Visser says "The law is a human institution" which may explain why bad people go into politics.