Cocktails & Popcorn: CONYERS - Who Said The "Controversies" Ever Went Away?

"Bourbon is for sipping with popcorn."

Who said he ever left?

And who said the investigations, oops, I mean "controversies" ever went away?

Got the popcorn?

#perkinscoiesucks

Conyers is gone, but controversy remains

DETROIT (WJBK) - A council president who says one thing but does another, a senator with a potential conflict of interest, a candidate paying herself to run for office, a mayor sued by a whistleblower, a politician who can't follow the rules and the son of a legendary mayor seeking to replace the congressman who tried to replace his dad as mayor nearly 30 years ago.

 One of these six candidates will punch their ticket to Washington, D.C. next Tuesday, and almost none of them have volunteered the information I and a team of reporters uncovered.

 For two months, reporters for Fox 2 News, Detroit Public Radio (WDET, 101.9 FM), the Lansing-based Gongwer News Service and the Michigan Campaign Finance Network (mcfn.org) scrutinized the six Democrats vying to replace Congressman John Conyers in Michigan's 13th congressional district. Conyers retired last year after 54 years in Congress after allegations that he sexually harassed women who worked for him. Because there is no Republican on the ballot, whoever wins he Democratic primary is all-but guaranteed to represent Detroit and surrounding communities including Wayne, Westland, River Rouge, Harper Woods, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Wyandotte and the Grosse Pointes.

With so much on the line, the reporters came together with a simple mission: Provide voters with as much information as possible - with an emphasis on providing voters the kind of information about the candidates that candidates typically leave out of their campaign commercials or literature.

The reporters ran the candidates through about two dozen filters, checking to see if they, and in some cases, their companies, popped up in local, state and federal public records. The reporters traveled to courthouses in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, and also examined property records.

The candidates were given a chance to respond to the reporters' findings. The reporters also included information on the candidates' key issues - as well as matters they oppose.

To see what we found, watch my latest exclusive Problem Solvers investigation. CLICK here for the Michigan Political Almanac, where you can learn more about every candidate running for office in Michigan this year.

Contact M.L. Elrick at ml.elrick@foxtv.com or 248-552-5261. Follow him on Facebook at "ML Elrick," on Twitter @elrick or on Instagram at "ml_elrick." 

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Cocktails & Popcorn: Bill Wild Made The Ballot

On this exciting episode of Cocktails & Popcorn, the Wayne County Clerk, Cathy Garrett, has basically deemed, waiting on the official announcement, that Bill Wild is on the ballot.

Now, let us take a look at the ballot.

On August 7, 2018 there will be two elections: one special election to finish out the 13th Congressional District for the U.S. House of Representatives, and, one traditional election for the primary.

So, let us take a look at what the special election candidate will win:

• According to the calendar of the Clerk of the House, Karen Haas, and my calculations, the winner will have a window of less than 8 days of in House (not in District) Session for the 115th Congress to be sworn in, run downstairs to the basement of the Rayburn Building to the congressional shop and buy up a bunch of lapel pins and other congressional souvenirs to pass out and photo ops for their congressional run in 2020;
• A swearing in ceremony that will not be very ceremonial, because that is alot of money to spend for an even smaller window opening event of the aforementioned 8 days of reign in D.C.;
• Bragging rights of being the one who replaced Conyers; and, 
• Recipient of a federal subpoena. (Oops, je dit une bêtise).

As for the General Election for the 116th Congressional Seat for the Michigan District, the candidates will be running on the substantive policy platform of "replacing Conyers".

Oh, and they shall receive a federal subpoena, too.

I have popcorn.  

Do you?

John Conyers, Jr. & Bill Wild

Clerk's staff: Bill Wild should get ballot spot for Congress

Westland Mayor Bill Wild qualifies for the congressional race to replace former U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., according to Wayne County elections staff that conducted a review of Wild's nominating petitions.

Clerk Cathy Garrett is expected to make a final decision within two days, after her Elections Division staff on Wednesday recommended that Wild get a spot on the Aug. 7 Democratic primary ballot in the 13th District.

A spokesman for Wild's campaign said they were pleased with the recommendation. 

"We are going to continue to work hard to get our message out to the people of the 13th Congressional District," Wild spokesman Mario Morrow said.

"Our goal is to win and bring stability, economic development and jobs home with integrity and hard work."

The review by the clerk's office was prompted by a formal petition challenge filed by Democratic activist Michael Gilmore, who was previously a candidate in the race but withdrew last month and endorsed Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones.

I wonder if he was promised a bottomless bucket of fried shrimp, too.

Gilmore had alleged that certain petition circulators for Wild were not residents of Michigan and that signatories were registered to vote outside of the district, among other technical violations.

The staff review deemed invalid 113 of the 693 signatures that Gilmore challenged, but still found another 1,251 valid signatures among the 1,671 that Wild submitted.

Congressional candidates need 1,000 valid signatures to qualify under state law, and so Wild's petition should be deemed “sufficient,” staff said.

"If that’s what they’ve come out with, then so be it," Gilmore said Wednesday.

Gilmore said he had heard Wild was paying circulators a higher-than-usual rate per signature, which made him suspect there might be discrepancies in his petitions.

"I started the process when I was still in the race and have since withdrawn from the race, but decided just for the sake of democracy to continue the challenge of his petitions," he said.
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Gilmore stressed that his challenge of Wild's petitions was not at Jones' request.

"That was totally of my own volition," he added.

The 13th District Democratic primary is overflowing with political newcomers and veteran lawmakers vying to succeed Conyers, who held the seat for more than 50 years.

The district includes parts of Detroit and western Wayne County.

Other candidates include former state Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Shanelle Jackson, Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones and state Sens. Ian Conyers and Coleman Young III. The winner of the primary takes the seat, as no Republican is on the ballot.

Garrett on Monday denied Conyers' 27-year-old son a place on the primary ballot after a similar petition review by her staff.

The former congressman had endorsed John Conyers III to take his old seat when he resigned in December amid allegations of sexual misconduct from former aides.

A review by Garrett’s staff had invalidated hundreds of petition signatures submitted by Conyers III to qualify as a candidate for a full two-year term that begins in January and, separately, for the special election to complete the current term vacated by his father. 

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©