The Detroit News
By Christine MacDonald
Detroit— A state representative is calling on Wayne County commissioners to pass a resolution urging Gov. Rick Snyder to start removal hearings for Executive Robert Ficano.
Rep. John Olumba, D-Detroit, sent a letter to the 15-member panel seeking the resolution for hearings similar to those that helped lead to Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s plea bargain and resignation in 2008. Commissioners aren’t likely to take him up on the request.
Olumba has criticized Ficano since last fall, when it was revealed that former economic development director Turkia Mullin received a $200,000 severance after leaving for a better paying job as CEO of Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
The recent disclosure that Ficano promised former Deputy Azzam Elder a severance of at least $300,000 and sweetened his pension is more evidence that state hearings are necessary, Olumba said. The FBI is investigating, but Olumba said it’s unclear how long the probe would last. Read More
