Tales Of The New Crown: A SWIFT Alternative Transposable Model To Contact Tracing - Follow The Money

I have a way better idea for contact tracing using a transposable model.

It is economically feasible and there is already an established model.

Instead of tracing people contact, how about we trace the financial transactions behind everything government officials and their government sanctioned activities are doing, in a SWIFT, and efficient manner of due process through law enforcement?

Follow the money.

Considering the fact that these are public expenditures, I am quite sure there will be no problems with a FOIA.

If that does not work, keeping in mind that these are Public Private Partnerships, I am quite sure a SIGTARP subpoena would also work, just as swiftly because this is gerrymandering.

Detroit already has a tracer tracking system to ensure everyone makes their date, because, before you are a man, you are a child.

First, this happened.....

MDHHS Launches Large-scale, Volunteer Contact Tracing Effort; Expands Testing Criteria to Include Any Worker Still Reporting in Person

LANSING, MICH. As part of efforts to continue expanding COVID-19 testing and contact tracing of potentially exposed Michiganders, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) again expanded its testing criteria to include all essential workers still reporting to work in person, whether they have symptoms or not, and launched a large-scale effort with more than 2,000 volunteers to expand contact tracing capacity.

“Contact tracing is an essential public health tool and will help determine and limit the spread of COVID-19 in our state,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “This effort is also giving Michiganders an important way to contribute to crisis response and we appreciate their willingness to step up for their communities, pitching in selflessly for work that will help us all.”

Contact tracing is a proven public health strategy that involves identifying those affected by COVID-19 and interviewing friends, families and others near that person about their contacts and symptoms. MDHHS is contracting with Great Lakes Community Engagement, a firm that specializes in outreach campaigns to engage citizens, and Every Action VAN, a voter/individual contact platform used by non-profits, to provide software to help organize remote phone banking and track information and contacts.

More than 2,200 volunteers have completed MDHHS’ contact tracing training and are ready to begin aiding local health departments. This workforce will increase the speed and thoroughness of contact tracing statewide. These volunteers are in addition to more than 130 MDHHS staff who have been assisting local health departments with case investigation over the past couple weeks and have reached more than 12,000 COVID-positive individuals.

Dedicating additional resources to contact tracing is needed as testing criteria and testing locations are rapidly expanding. Last week, MDHHS announced the expansion of testing to all Michiganders experiencing symptoms. Starting April 21, testing eligibility criteria is being expanded again to include all essential workers still reporting to work in person with potential COVID-19 exposure, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic. This will help identify asymptomatic cases who may still be spreading the virus as they report to work.

“This means that anyone with symptoms can get a test as well as any individual regularly interacting with others outside their household, as long as the testing location has the supplies,” Khaldun said. “MDHHSis also working with local health departments to expand testing in group living facilities with potential exposure.”

To sign up to volunteer for public health efforts, visit Michigan.gov/fightcovid19. To locate a testing site near you, visit Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Then, this happened....

Controversial coronavirus contract with ties to Dems didn't go through proper channels, said Whitmer

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

When Rashida Tlaib & Her DNC Reparations Stealin' Talking Points Go Horribly Wrong

"Will Prince Archie get a reparations check, too?"

FOX 2, or anyone with a camera rolling, should ask Rashida, "What is your measurement used to determine if someone is African-American."

That should be fun.

Will there be any due process to challenge being omitted from this reparations check classed based animus?

I will ask her.

After all, she is the best person to represent African-Americans when it comes to discrimination of due process.

Gotta have an operationalized tool of measurement when it comes to handing out those reparations economic development contracts.

TARP ran out, you know.

Then, there is that pesky issue with identifying individuals who are not formally recognized as U.S. citizens, or have multiple identities, or victims of child trafficking, or are brought as foreign political operatives....oh, the list of legally established measurable variables goes on and on for those privatized local governments known as sanctuary cities.

Which foreign corporation is the administrator of record of the data?

DPD Chief Craig outraged at Rashida Tlaib's race remarks

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib told Chief James Craig on Monday that analysts who work with the facial recognition software should be African-American only.

It is something Tlaib, a lawyer, later told FOX 2 wouldn't even be legal to hire someone solely on race.

DPD Chief fires back at Tlaib comments

http://www.dataworksplus.com/partners.html
https://opencorporates.com/companies?
jurisdiction_code=&q=Dataworks+Plus&utf8=%E2%9C%93

Chief James Craig is not mincing words.

On Monday Tlaib said in a Detroit News online video: "Also, analysts need to be African-Americans, not people that are not. No, it happens all the time, it is true. I think non-African-Americans think African-Americans all look the same."

Craig responded in that video saying, "I trust people who are trained. Regardless of race, regardless of gender."

FOX 2: "Are her comments racist?"

"I think they are racist, I don't know (if) we can call it what we want," Craig said Wednesday.

Chief James Craig is not mincing words after showing how the hotly debated facial recognition technology works to the congresswoman who has been adamantly against it.

Her concerns are regarding the reliability in identifying people of color.

"The facial recognition software is racist in itself," Tlaib said.

The Detroit News was rolling when Tlaib said analysts who work to identify potential criminals with the software should be African American…not, non-African American.

"It's a double standard," Craig said. "Certainly as the police chief of this city, if I had made a similar comment, people would be outraged and they would be calling for my resignation."

FOX 2: "Do you wish you would have said it differently?"

"I'm trying to say it needs to be reflective and if you look at the video I think you can see I'm trying to respectfully disagree," Tlaib said.

Tlaib cited several studies for support on how people of one race identify another.

"The science supports what I'm saying," Tlaib said.

FOX 2: "I'm not asking what the science is saying I'm asking what you're saying?"

"I repeated what the science said," Tlaib said. "I think if you talk, not just to me ... "

FOX 2: "The science says that black analysts should be hired?"

"No," she said. "It says there are mistaken people that cannot identify African-Americans, no, no, no, it's okay, we aren't going to get into an argument about this.

"Please ask African-Americans in my district."

Craig says the software is one tool for investigators and although it isn't 100 percent accurate, trained analysts fill in the gaps.

"I'm not even going to try and understand why the comments were made," Craig said. "Let's just simply say it was improper, it wasn't right and we should be talking about other things."

Tlaib says many of her constituents are against facial recognition - that's why she has been so outspoken. She is actually behind two bills to ban the technology and prevent the cameras from going into public housing.

ACLU FOIA to Detroit Police Department -- 9-17-19 1 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

No FOIA For Duggan Investigation, But There Is A Video

If you record the meetings, you can use their own words against them.

Sometimes, wearing a wire is just another way of preserving the historic record since people in positions of authority seem to have issues recently about bearing false witness in the historic record.

Just ask Mike Duggan about that.

The City could email the documents, but that would not be conducive when it comes to covering up child welfare fraud.

Besides, if this has to do with child welfare, those records are sealed.

Thank you, Tony, for the lovely video with the time stamp.

Nice touch.

City puts $222K price tag on Duggan investigation records; flouts state law

Secret video: Carmack secretly records Duggan probe interview
Robert Carmack recorded his meeting with Detroit's inspector general because, he says, he doesn't trust the probe of the mayor will be impartial.

The Detroit inspector general's investigation into Mayor Mike Duggan is in its final stages. The Free Press is seeking records of the probe.

Mayor Duggan's ties to Sonia Hassan include Make Your Date program
An email obtained in a Free Press investigation shows mayor ordered special attention for a nonprofit run by Dr. Sonia Hassan, with whom he's linked.

Anearly six-month investigation into whether Mayor Mike Duggan gave preferential treatment to a local maternal health program is in its final stages and involves more than 400,000 pages of documents, the Free Press has learned.

The Free Press sought the Detroit Office of Inspector General’s investigative records — emails, text messages, financial reports and other documents it has collected as well as newly created reports — through a public records request last month, but the city’s law department said the newspaper would have to foot a bill estimated at $222,667 to obtain them.

Even if the Free Press pays the six-figure invoice, the city plans to fight releasing documents that the inspector general’s office has collected. The investigation involves Duggan and Make Your Date, the maternal health program run by Sonia Hassan, a woman with close ties to the mayor. Duggan initiated the nonprofit program; recommended Hassan to lead it, and ordered high-ranking city officials to help with fundraising. Make Your Date received more than $358,000 in federal grant money through the city.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) wants to keep the records secret while the investigation is ongoing so they are not used to “mislead the public.”

“Based on information provided by the OIG … release of the requested information and/or record at this time would: 1) paint a biased picture without any context; 2) unfairly prejudice innocent employees and individuals who are identified in the records; and 3) be taken out of context to sensationalize certain aspects of the records and mislead the public,” reads a Sept. 10 letter to the Free Press from the Detroit law department in response to the newspaper’s records request on Aug. 20.

The letter notes that 400,000 pages of records have been gathered and concedes that the state’s public records law may not justify withholding the records. “While specific exemptions under Michigan FOIA may not apply to the records compiled by the OIG, it is our understanding that the OIG will defend its position if necessary,” a footnote in the letter reads.

The city’s letter responding to the Free Press request sheds new light on the high-profile investigation and underscores the complicated relationship between the city’s administration and Inspector General Ellen Ha.

More: Mayor Mike Duggan set her up to succeed. That raises questions.

More: City fundraising office deleted emails about nonprofit tied to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan

The OIG is supposed to be the city’s independent watchdog, but staff there collaborated with the city’s law department to object to releasing the records to the Free Press. Ha previously worked in the city’s law department, raising concerns about her objectivity.

Deputy Inspector General Kamau Marable said Friday that the office's objections are not specific to the investigation involving Duggan and Make Your Date.

"We are not opposing the (FOIA) request perpetually," Marable said. "Our concern is the information being released while an investigation is ongoing and that's every investigation — high-profile or not. Every investigation we feel that way and will take that stance."

The investigation encompasses whether the city and Duggan provided Make Your Date with any preferential treatment. The probe expanded in July after the Free Press revealed that city workers deleted emails related to Make Your Date and Hassan, while the newspaper prepared its first report on the mayor’s relationship with the program and Hassan.

The inspector general’s office said it would investigate the circumstances surrounding the deleted emails as part of its overall investigation into Make Your Date.

Duggan and Dave Massaron, the city’s chief financial officer, learned about the deleted emails in May.

During an unrelated meeting with Free Press editors and reporters Thursday, Massaron would not comment on whether the inspector general has interviewed him or how he found out about the deleted emails.

“We have been asked by the Office of the Inspector General not to comment until she completes the investigation. So I can’t,” Massaron said.

When asked whether he has ever known any city officials to delete emails to avoid public disclosure, Massaron also cited the inspector general’s instructions to remain quiet. When pressed, he said, “I’m unaware of anybody deleting emails to avoid discussion, disclosure.”

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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel also has instructed her criminal division to look into the deleted emails after the issue was brought to her personal attention.

Although the OIG investigation is in its final stages, it could be a while before a final report is issued because any person or agency criticized in the preliminary report has the right to a closed-door appeal hearing, according to the inspector general's administrative rules. The appeals process could take several weeks.

The inspector general’s office would not provide any details about the investigation, only characterizing it as ongoing.

The office confirmed that it raised concerns with the law department about the Free Press’ FOIA request.

“Unless required to do so, we do not discuss or share any information we’ve collected during our investigation with any persons outside of our agency,” an email from the inspector general’s office reads. “Preserving the integrity of our investigation under the charter requires our silence until a final report is issued by our office.”

The city charter's requirement that inspector general records be kept confidential is subject to state law, including the FOIA statute, which supersedes local rules and laws.

The Free Press appealed the law department's FOIA response last week. The appeal cited several areas where the city's response appeared to violate state statutes and it requested specific legal justifications for documents that were denied.

The inspector general has the authority to investigate any elected official, city employee, agencies and any programs or contractors who provide goods or services to Detroit.

According to the city charter, the inspector general also has the ability to access financial and other records of all city agencies at any time.

During the course of an investigation, the office can administer oaths, take testimonies, subpoena witnesses and require the "production of evidence relevant to a matter under investigation," according to the city charter.

Any city employee, elected official or contractor who fails to cooperate with an investigation could be subject to "forfeiture of office, discipline, debarment or any other applicable penalty.”

If it is determined that an illegal act was committed, the inspector general is required to refer the matter to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

Viki Harrison, director of state operations for the nonpartisan grassroots organization Common Cause, said the city’s handling of the FOIA response raises new transparency questions and damages the public’s trust.

Harrison read the city’s FOIA response to the Free Press and said it is inappropriate for the law department to chastise the media by suggesting it would attack innocent employees.

“Are they writing an op-ed or is this a FOIA response?" Harrison said.

Harrison said the city’s response erodes trust in government.

“I'm outraged just reading some of the language that they've used in here,” she said. “They're being incredibly defensive instead of just doing their jobs and answering the question. The public is going to once again think that their government is hiding something and not playing fair and they're stopping the press from doing their jobs. The lack of transparency and ability for the public to really understand what’s happening is completely erased when you get a response like this.”

The inspector general's office said there should be no transparency concerns.

"We have stated that we have no issues with releasing information after the investigation is concluded," the office wrote in an email responding to questions from the Free Press. "As stated previously this is to protect the integrity of any investigation, high profile or otherwise."

Harrison said she also believes the $222,667 price tag to fulfill the request prevents access to documents that should legally be available for public consumption.

“It is obviously outrageous to charge a newspaper $225,000 for something that is going to be nothing but redactions,” Harrison said. “Charging for staff time is a huge problem, too. If your Information Act requires and allows them to charge to compile information, that should be changed. That is something that makes it cost prohibitive for anyone to use this law to get the information they’re entitled to. How is anybody supposed to be able to afford $200,000?”

Make Your Date investigation

Attorney General, experts confused about how nonprofit tied to Duggan operates

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's wife Mary Loretto Maher files for divorce

Mayor Mike Duggan refuses to answer questions about relationship with doctor

Mayor Mike Duggan set her up to succeed. That raises questions.

She's in charge of investigating Duggan. What she said in secretly taped conversation.

Detroit mayor's support for prenatal program draws government investigation

“Any time an inspector general is investigating any type of allegation of wrongdoing, that’s just inherently in the public interest,” Marshall said.

The city’s position that it would fight releasing the records despite any legal justification is “patently unlawful,” Marshall said.

“They seem to readily admit that no Michigan FOIA exemption applies but they’re not going to release these records,” he said. “The letter seems to be flouting that legal obligation on the basis of some purported policy argument. That’s not a legal reason that allows those records to be withheld.

“I’m really at a loss to understand how the city thinks this is appropriate or lawful.”

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Kellyanne Conway Speaks Upon Child Protection Laws & Ascends To Be Official Crowned A Legal Genius

In this video, Kellyanne Conway, "Legal Genius" (trademark pending) speaks upon child welfare laws, devoid of any semblance of understanding child protection laws.

Lacking in the basic structure or jurisdiction of child welfare laws, Kellyanne gracefully documents the dearth of legal acumen in the laws and policies of juvenile justice, foster care and adoption.

Without even conferring with White House Counsel, well, on second thought McGahn may have a tight schedule dealing with his cover up of TARP and his work on the construction and implementation of the fake ass Detroit Bankruptcy, along with its ancillary socioeconomic ills, like child welfare, Kellyanne gleefully educates the world on the inner workers of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau all by herself, because she knows everything.

Kellyanne knows so much to comment on the workings of child protection laws, she did not even confer with the State of Ohio, Department of Job and Family Services.

You go, gurl!

Because Kellyanne knows so much about child protection law, I say she definitely needs to be put on the expert witness list for all legal matters dealing with child welfare laws for the United States.

Think of all the legal cases of parents suing to rescue their children from Foster Care & Adoption, to save them from drugging, rape, torture, through her expert testimony.

Think of all the Medicaid fraud in child welfare, which is what are in those juvenile records Kellyanne is claiming we do not have access, yet fails to comment on civil rights laws in child welfare because there are none. 

I bet Kellyanne knows about all those foreign corporations trafficking of tiny humans across the borders and through our ports, under chattel laws.

Kellyanne has put the age of consent on the table.

I bet Mike Pence debriefed her.

Mike Pence knows lots about trafficking tiny humans.

Someone should ask him.

We should ask everyone involved in child protection about what goes on behind the iron curtain of the dark and nefarious world of Child Welfare, that way we can access the records and go after the billions in Medicaid Fraud being exfiltrated out the country through fake ass child welfare NGOs.

 

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Cocktails & Popcorn: Judicial Watch, Clinton Foundation, Mark Meadows & John Huber - A Non-Profit Oversight Christmas Tale

Nothing takes the place of oversight
of non-profit organizations
for the christmas holiday!

What am I watching?

All I can tell you is that Mr. Tom (my pet name for Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch) may have some serious issues in the future.

You cannot advocate a judicial case in the congressional branch for the purposes of financial benefit, where, in this instance, it is for a 501c3.

That is called a propaganda operation because we have no idea about the foreign funding of Judicial Watch, due to the fact that it is a non-profit.

That is why Huber did not show up for this shit show.

Hell, I would not show up, either!

There was no one from DOJ, IRS,  or any OIG who was currently employed with U.S. government.

Seriously.

Talk about an ex-parte hearing, I actually experienced an episode of Post Traumatic Fraud and do not know if I shall ever recover.

The Committee did not even extend invitation to testify to the other foundations (Trump, Clinton et al & FACT).

I believe it is difficult to call a non-profit to testify in congressional hearing when that non-profit is not a 501c3, or even incorporated, for that matter, due to it being a Corporate Shape Shifter, but hey, what do I know?

I know Mr. Tom is not even a licensed attorney, so how is he allowed to represent Judicial Watch as the President of a 501c3 non-profit organization, as a litigant, to speak upon live litigation, in the capacity of a licensed attorney, in a formal congressional hearing on oversight of non-profits?

Judicial Watch, Inc., a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law. Through its educational endeavors, Judicial Watch advocates high standards of ethics and morality in our nation's public life and seeks to ensure that political and judicial officials do not abuse the powers entrusted to them by the American people. Judicial Watch fulfills its educational mission through litigation, investigations and public outreach. 

2016 GROSS RECEIPTS $67,005,461.00

2016 ASSETS $92,365,593.00

Did Mr. Tom use a Congressional Committee for personal inurement by promulgating propaganda into the congressional record, using congressional resources, to sway the courts?

I am unable to present any specific answers to that question, but I bet the Mueller OSC team could.

Perhaps, that is another reason why Huber did not show up.

There was not one mention of trafficking tiny humans.

Priorities, you know, it is that time of season for giving.

Why Mark Meadows would allow such a fundraiser spectacle to take place, using taxpayer dollars, knowing fully well that there are multiple, ongoing investigations into the actions and omissions of the so-called Clinton Foundation, is just beyond belief.

But, hey, what do I know?

I know Mr. Tom is going to need a few cocktails because Judicial Watch is now a willing participant of oversight as a non-profit organization.

I also know that Mark Meadows will be enjoying rum infused eggnog over the holidays.

Cocktails & Popcorn: Mark Meadows, FISA, Ethics & His Former Chief Of Staff

And,, in the words of Tom Fitton, the Clinton email scandal was uncovered as a result of Judicial Watch's actions, just remember that.

Make sure to send in that christmas contribution to Judicial Watch for that end of the year tax deduction!

Judicial Watch 501c3 IRS 990 Filing for 2016 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Cocktails s & Popcorn: Will The Real "Emily" Present Identification For The Michigan Election FOIA Requests"

"My name is Emily but I am going to hide behind my popcorn
so you cannot guess who I really am."

In the spirit of fuchsia...

How the hell can a local election clerk honor a FOIA request by someone who fails to identify themselves?  See, it goes like this.  When you file a FOIA and are denied, you can file an appeal.  If the appeal is denied, you can shift the request, under state law, with monetary penalties, to a Circuit Court.  So, I would deny the FOIA request just to force them to come out in Circuit Court, where, a clerk can then even challenge the validity of the identity and making them go back through the initial process of the FOIA request.

If "Emily" wins a FOIA case in Circuit Court, to whom do the city clerks issue the check?

Is "Emily" going to pay cash for the FOIA requests, because I highly doubt she, or he, has a checking account, but this is Michigan, so I am sure there is a Corporate Shape Shifter wiling to do the banking for an unincorporated entity, or, in this instance, a fake individual.

How do we know "Emily" is emancipated or even of the legal age of 18?

(You can be emancipated at 16 in Michigan, which should not be confused with Emancipation Proclamation of being released from the legal custodian and guardian).

How do we even know "Emily"  is not an infant, not mentally incapacitated, in the military, or is even under legal guardianship of a corporate parent?

How do we even know "Emily" is a citizen of the United States, which makes the FOIA request further open to scrutiny of being submitted in the proper jurisdiction?

If you need ID to cast a vote, then you should present ID to submit a FOIA request about the vote.

Something tells me we are dealing with "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending).

Something also tells me that the Michigan election may not be recorded tomorrow, but I will update.

The only reason I speculate a pre-emptive attempt to nullify the 2016 Presidential Election is because "Emily" & friends have no clue to what they are about to unearth, and it will not be pretty.

Nope, not pretty at all.

I am going to go out there...just a wild guess....and say....

#perkinscoiesucks

Voting group behind mystery requests in Michigan

A voting rights nonprofit affiliated with a Democratic super political action committee is behind the recent mystery public record requests that blanketed clerk’s offices around Michigan.

Priorities USA Foundation contracted a third party to send hundreds of public records requests to clerks throughout the state asking for copies of ballots and accompanying materials from the November 2016 election, the group confirmed Tuesday.

The nonpartisan foundation is a separate but affiliated entity with Priorities USA Action, a self-defined "progressive" super PAC that spent $6.4 million supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton and $126 million opposing Republican Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

Among the super PAC's biggest donors in 2015-16 were George Soros, the liberal chairman of the Open Society Foundations; New York hedge fund manager James Simons; and Newsweb Corp. CEO Fred Eychaner of Chicago, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

The Priorities USA Foundation was founded in 2017 and doesn't have any Internal Revenue Service returns that would indicate its funding sources. Nonprofits are not required to disclose donors.

The ballot requests were sent as part of a research project aiming “to determine whether any discrepancies exist in the ballot process across various states and precincts that might disproportionately affect certain communities, particularly communities of color and young people,” the foundation said in a statement.

The response came four days after Michigan Director of Elections Sally Williams said the public records requests sent en masse throughout Michigan had “unnerved” local clerks busy recovering from record turnouts in the August primary and preparing for the November general election.

The requests were signed by a woman referred to as “Emily” with no last name. Clerks were told to direct questions and Freedom of Information Act responses to a Gmail account or an Astoria, New York, post office box from the “United Impact Group.”

The requests ask for all election day, absentee and provisional ballots from the 2016 presidential election; ballots that were not counted and the reason they weren’t counted; and accompanying materials such as the envelopes in which the absentee ballots were sent. Some precincts were asked for the polling books listing the names of those who voted, Williams said.

Voting group behind mystery requests in Mich.

Though the ballots are anonymous, clerks were concerned about where the information requested would be sent, Secretary of State spokesman Fred Woodhams said. Knowing the group behind the requests could assuage some of those fears, he said.

"It may give them some peace of mind," Woodhams said. 

Republican Secretary of State candidate Mary Treder Lang challenged her Democratic opponent Jocelyn Benson to denounce the efforts by Priorities USA because they distract clerks from preparing for the November election.

"The Democratic Party is trying to rehash the 2016 presidential election recount," Treder Lang said in a statement. "Our county and municipal clerks have an important job to do and should not have to waste their time on an election that was already decided in 2016 ... twice."

Priorities USA Foundation did not immediately elaborate on the reason for the secretive nature of the requests. In response to questions regarding the processing cost to local clerks’ offices, the group said in an email:

“We know the clerks have an important job and want to make sure we are good partners in helping them fulfill the request in a timely manner. We’re happy to work with them to make this possible.”

Detroit estimated it would take about a year to process the request, and the price would be “very, very costly,” said Clerk Janice Winfrey. The city of Lansing estimated the request would take roughly 275 hours of staff time to complete, cost $12,000 and likely wouldn’t be complete until January.

A “representative sample of precincts” in Michigan were the first targeted by the in-depth public records requests aiming to explore procedures for provisional ballots; the consistency of ballot counting; discarded ballots; and under-voting, when a person casts a ballot for some but not all races, according to the foundation.

“The research will be looking into such potential issues as disparities in ballot counting procedures — especially among provisional ballots — and the impact of 'under-voting' and discarded ballots in these communities,” Priorities USA Foundation said in a statement.

President Trump won Michigan by 10,704 votes over Clinton in an election in which about 4.8 million votes were cast. The courts ended up stopping a recount requested by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein since she had no shot of winning and thus wasn't an aggrieved candidate under state law.

“During the partial statewide recount of the presidential race, 2 million paper ballots were reviewed by hand before the recount was stopped by the courts,” Woodhams said in an email. “The vote difference between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton changed by only 103 votes, demonstrating that there is no reason to believe that there were problems tallying the vote.”

Clinton gained 103 votes in the recount, but those votes weren't recognized when the courts struck down the recount.

In 2016, Michigan had roughly 75,000 under-voted ballots in which voters filled out their ballots but did not mark a selection for president, according to Woodhams. Roughly 1,400 of those ballots were cast in Detroit.

The under-vote number was not dramatically higher than the 50,000 in 2012 and 40,000 in 2008, Woodhams said.

Given the record disapproval ratings for Trump and Clinton ahead of the election, "it’s not surprising to us that some people chose not to vote that ballot line," he said.

Precincts throughout Michigan in 2016 issued nearly 4,000 provisional ballots, which are given to voters who don't appear to be registered voters in the precinct but later show proof of their ability to vote there. Roughly 1,500 of the provisional ballots in 2016 were issued in Wayne County. 

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

FOIA Verifies Federal Investigation Of Detroit Land Bank Authority, MSHDA, MHA

In the spirit of fuchsia...

State letter notes firing, reassignment in Detroit demo probe

Please, keep in mind, the Federal Bureau of Investigation only investigates criminal matters, not civil, criminal, like they are pretty darn sure indictments will ensue from their work on a criminal investigation.

Not an audit.

Not an administrative review.

Not even an examination.

The FBI does criminal investigations, that have gone through its administrative structures, via federal law, or even international, depending on the criminal matter, which is not civil, so the likelihood of a successfully communicating the findings of the investigation to the U.S. Attorney's Office is quite significant.

NOTE TO SELF: Find out annual stats on how many FBI investigations were rejected by the U.S. Attorney General.

Detroit — A former high-ranking member of the Detroit Building Authority was terminated and a land bank staffer who oversaw Detroit's blight elimination was reassigned over problematic bid awards for the city's federally funded demolition program, according to a document released amid a 2016 state audit that found evidence of possible "bid rigging" and "collusion."

No, really?

The previously redacted Sept. 30, 2016, letter, sent by the homeownership director of the Michigan Homeowner Assistance Nonprofit Housing Corp. to the U.S. Treasury, identifies former Detroit Building Authority deputy director Jim Wright as a "key staff person" terminated from the program over the issues, and a second Detroit Land Bank staffer, Marti Delgado, reassigned to another area "that does not have any roles and responsibilities with blight elimination or handling of any Hardest Hit blight funding."

Correct me if I am wrong, but is this the same Jim Wright from DMC and Wayne County? Oh, I remember this one.  This goes back to Hamtramck. This is going to get interesting.

The full letter — which also referenced an ongoing federal criminal investigation into the program — was made public Monday as part of a lawsuit filed last fall by activist Robert Davis over the release of audit and financial documents related to the state's investigation of the program.

The beauty of FOIA.  We have official confirmation that there is an ongoing investigation with grand juries. How do I know about the grand juries? This is Detroit.

The revelation comes after the audit, first made public this spring through the Freedom of Information Act, detailed admissions from Wright and Delgado regarding the manipulation of bid awards. The 2016 audit, at the time, also suspected "bid rigging" and "collusion" between the city's building authority, the Detroit Land Bank and program contractors.

They were doing that creative billing of cubic space, like air. Seriously.

Wright, according to the 2016 state audit released to The Detroit News, admitted to contract price manipulation that included hiding some demolition overages by spreading them over other properties so it appeared none of the work exceeded cost limits set by the state.

The practice — which kept each property under a $25,000 required cap — shifted costs "arbitrarily" to other properties, Delgado and Wright both admitted in a July 2016 interview with Tom Golden, who led the investigation for the state.

This was done to abide by a per property funding cap set by the MHA. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority, which distributes federal dollars for the program, was not aware of it, according to the audit. But Detroit's Building Authority Director David Manardo was, according to interviews conducted during the audit.

MSHDA is not absolved from anything at this point.

“He knew of this practice. That it was done. There was no malice intent," Wright told Golden of Manardo. "He wanted to remove the blighted homes at the same contract value. And I agreed to adjust the other properties upwards to make up for the reductions. If the contractors would agree to reduce the price on those properties over the cap then we’d agree to shift those amounts to other properties in the same package. Make up the difference. ... It should not have been done that way."

Wright, who oversaw the blight removal program, abruptly resigned in August 2016, according to city officials at the time. Delgado, a compliance manager for the land bank, left the blight elimination program in January 2017.

I swear, those quit claim deeds were jacked up.  That is why there were issues tearing down the wrong properties.

Wright hung up when reached by phone Monday. A relative for Delgado said she was not available.

Sometimes it is not wise to make public statements during a federal investigation.  Just saying.

The city's demolition program has been the subject of federal, state and local reviews since it came under scrutiny in the fall of 2015 in the wake of bidding concerns and soaring costs.

John Roach, a spokesman for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, said the city does not comment on personnel matters. But he added that Detroit "has been completely transparent with its demolition program and has fully cooperated with every state and federal inquiry into the program."

https://webinquiry.courts.michigan.gov/WISearchResults/ViewPage1?commoncaseid=489431&fbclid=IwAR3R9GpAj98Bxx6YYF8c_aXS2fVwhxTYNASLPEaPmMX-vwlNX_6_8F2-HYw

What about transparency with the other programs associated with properties, like...uhm...property taxes and the Detroit Land Bank Authority?  Tell us the story how the Detroit Land Bank Authority levies taxes, what they do with the taxes they levy, and how come they are levying taxes.  Oh, and tell us the tale of how a city fee becomes a county foreclosure tax!  And I really want to hear to story on how the Detroit Land Bank Authority is operating with the city when it never incorporated, and do not forget the one on how the Detroit Land Bank Authority was representing you, Uncle Duggan, in a court of law.

Oh, boy! I am so excited.  Better get more popcorn.

"All of the issues raised in the MHA audit were addressed and resolved a year ago and detailed in two press conferences conducted by Mayor Duggan," Roach wrote in an email.

"The land bank and the state agreed on a financial settlement over disputed billings to the state, and there was no finding of wrongdoing on the part of the city or the land bank. Since these issues were settled, the U.S. Treasury Department has released another $132 million to Detroit’s demolition program to allow it to continue its work."

Roach said initial concerns raised by the auditor involving Manardo were not substantiated after a full investigation of land bank and building authority computers and documents.

"In the preliminary stages of the investigation, the auditors raised the possibility that Dave Manardo may have had some responsibility for the ineligible billing practices," Roach said. "We cannot speak to the statements made by Jim Wright during his interview with the auditors."

Were they demolishing properties they never filed quiet titles on? Hmmmm......

State officials on Monday deferred comment on the audit and Davis' claims to the state Attorney General's Office, which is handling the litigation Davis filed against MHA and the state treasury. A spokesperson reached late Monday declined comment, citing the pending litigation.

Oh, I gotta pull this case.  It will be worth the bottle returns.  Or, I guess I could just email the attorney.

MHA Homeownership Director Mary Townley, during a February deposition in Davis' lawsuit, said there had been concerns of "possible bid-rigging" but the investigation, at the time, was "still ongoing with no final determinations being made."

I believe MHA Homeownership may have a few other issues they are currently dealing with pertaining to SIGTARP.

Katie Bach, a spokeswoman for MSHDA, noted Monday that "it wasn't MHA's role to conclude if there was bid-rigging, as that is a law enforcement determination."

Hold your horses, there, little buckaroo, a judicial determination is coming, too.

MHA, while pursuing its investigation and seeking payback of any funds inappropriately spent by the land bank, also prepared a presentation to update law enforcement on irregularities in the land bank's use of the federal dollars for demolition, she said.

Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have ourselves whistleblowers, fully cooperating with the federal investigation.  Congratulations MHA, for doing the right thing and help me stop these people from stealin'!!!

"MHA is not aware of the status of any law enforcement investigations that may have resulted from that disclosure," she said.

MHA hired Golden in spring 2016 as well as the firm Ernst & Young to conduct a forensic audit of Detroit's Hardest Hit Fund program expenditures. In August, the state informed the city of the early issues uncovered.

NOTE TO SELF: I need to request a copy of that audit.

The federally funded program shut down for two months in August 2016 after the MHA review, in conjunction with MSHDA, turned up "mistakes" and "errors."

Ah! That is what we call "false claim" in the layman vernacular.  See, you can learn something new every day.

Since then, several controls have been strengthened. Among them, state housing authority employees are now embedded at the land bank and building authority to provide compliance support. Treasury accepted the new procedures Oct. 14, 2016, and work resumed.

Hmmm...are they really MSHDA employees or, oh, how shall I phrase this, "intelligence experts" who are not "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending). I just love to speculate, but hey, what do I know?

There's no place like Motown!

Duggan first revealed in February 2017 that the state's review of the program's billing practices had turned up a total of $7.3 million in what MSHDA argued were "inappropriate" or "inaccurate" costs.

Early last year, the land bank repaid $1.37 million to address improper expenses identified by auditors for the state.

I am still trying to figure out how the Detroit Land Bank Authority wrote a bogus check considering the fact that I had the bank accounts.

Last June, the city's land bank also reached a settlement with state housing officials to pay $5 million to resolve a dispute over invoices the state said were improperly submitted for repayment in the demolition program. At the same time, the state agreed to make another $5 million available to the city for tearing down houses.

Sshhh...that is what we, who are not "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending), call kickbacks, money laundering, and racketeering.  Sshhhh....

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