Prelude To Detroit: Hillary Clinton Speaks Upon Detroit 2020 Primary Election

This happens every election cycle.

Someone files a complaint about the election.

The complaint is ignored.

The election is certified.

#maytheheavensfall

'This can't go on': Detroit primary ballots went unchecked, GOP poll challengers say

Election workers in Detroit's primary improperly altered some votes and counted thousands of absentee ballots without checks against voter lists, say GOP poll challengers who contend Michigan's largest city isn't ready for November's election.

Detroit, where problems counting ballots have been in the spotlight for at least 15 years, is quickly becoming a key front in the political fight over election integrity. Republicans are signing affidavits about problems they saw in the Aug. 4 primary, while Democratic state officials are taking steps they hope will improve ballot handling in the general election.

About 25 Michigan Republicans monitored the counting of absentee ballots in the basement of the TCF Center in Detroit for the Aug. 4 primary. They reported a variety of missteps that — if accurate — would violate policies in state manuals, ranging from cellphones being used by workers to votes being counted without lists of voters on hand to check the ballots against, according to interviews with eight poll challengers and signed affidavits from five.

A handful of the GOP poll challengers contended that they saw election workers make digital changes to disregard lone Republican votes on ballots featuring mostly Democratic votes in a bid to make the ballots legally countable in the partisan primary, where voters are not allowed to cross over.

Their accounts come after Wayne County election officials revealed that 72% of Detroit's 503 absentee voting precincts reported ballot totals that didn't match the totals of voters tracked in poll books, the official lists of voters participating in the election. The out-of-balance totals, which could have resulted from not checking ballots against the voter lists, would mean that the precincts couldn't be recounted in a close race under state law.

GOP poll challenger Cliff Frost, 73, of Warren said he was "incredulous" to see ballots sent to tabulators without first being checked against poll books as election workers are supposed to do in accordance with state manuals.

Frost said election workers told him: "We’re saving the envelopes, and we’re going to check them later." But he questioned what would happen if the workers found a problem after the votes had already been counted.




With a surge of absentee voting expected this fall, the Nov. 3 election is going to be "a mess" in Detroit, predicted Matt Harris, 41, of Commerce Township, another Republican poll watcher.

"They have September and October, two months," Harris said of the time remaining before the election. "How can they turn it around that fast?”

Election officials in Michigan have emphasized the problems in Detroit's primary election weren't examples of fraud and don't call into question the integrity of the results.

Detroit Clerk Janice Winfrey, whose office didn't respond to multiple requests for comment, has tied the problems to increases in absentee voting, veteran election workers not showing up during the COVID-19 pandemic and other workers being on the job for more than 20 hours.

There are security precautions for absentee ballots, such as checking signatures on them, that can be done before Election Day, said Aghogho Edevbie, Michigan director for the voting rights group All Voting Is Local. While Edevbie said he's concerned about the processes used in Detroit's primary, he said he doesn't think something nefarious went on.

"The essential integrity of the process was not breached," he said.

The GOP allegations come as the eyes of the nation could be on Detroit this fall amid record absentee voting and criticism from President Donald Trump about mail-in voting. Trump won Michigan by 10,704 votes in 2016, his closest margin of victory nationally.

Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, referenced the Republican poll challengers during an interview with TV show "The Circus" last month in which she advised Joe Biden, the 2020 Democratic candidate, not to concede the election. She described the GOP challengers as "lawyers" and said a local reporter was told their presence was a "dry run" for November.

Hillary Clinton has some advice for Joe Biden: Don’t concede in a close race.

The 2016 nominee sits down with @jmpalmieri and @sho_thecircus to urge Dems to pay close attention to GOP strategy. pic.twitter.com/REwfLf1QjS

— The Recount (@therecount) August 24, 2020

"Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances because I think this is going to drag out and, eventually, I do believe he will win if we don’t give an inch and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is," Clinton said.

Skipping ballot books
In a basement room beneath the TCF convention center, hundreds of election workers met in the morning hours of the Aug. 4 primary to begin counting Detroit's absentee ballots.

Tables were set up in squares for each of the more than 130 county boards that would handle the city's 503 absentee voting precincts. Robert Brines, 69, of White Lake, one of the GOP poll challengers, described it as a "monster operation."

The election workers were on the job until about 5 a.m. Aug. 5, the day after the primary. Of the eight Republicans who monitored the work and were interviewed by The Detroit News, none stayed at TCF Center longer than Bob Cushman, a 70-year-old General Motors retiree from South Lyon.

An affidavit signed by Bob Cushman describes what he saw while serving as a poll challenger at Detroit's primary election at the TCF Center on Aug. 4, 2020.

Cushman arrived at the TCF Center at 6:50 a.m. Aug. 4 and didn't leave until 5:10 a.m. Aug. 5, according to an affidavit he signed later. While at the facility, he took five pages of notes, which documented election workers not checking absentee ballots against poll books, a practice that is meant to help keep ballot and voter totals in balance.



At about 2 a.m. on Aug 5, a "soft male voice" came over the microphone system in the center and "instructed everyone to stop what they are doing, open every envelope, separate the ballots and place them in the trays to go to the tabulators," according to Cushman's affidavit. Another announcement repeated the instruction a few moments later, he said.

"About 20 minutes after the announcements, I walked around the TCF Center and noted that there were no more comparisons being made to the poll books at any of the tables that I observed," Cushman said in his affidavit. "I continued to make rounds of the floor with the same observations."

The retiree estimates thousands of absentee ballots were sent to tabulators without being checked against voter lists after the 2 a.m. announcement in an effort to get results more quickly.

"This was just a primary," he said. "There’s going to be a lot more votes, many, many more votes in the general election."

Most other GOP poll challengers said they saw absentee ballots being sent to tabulators without poll book checks earlier on Aug. 4 when counting boards didn't yet have their poll books on site.

Some of the counting boards, which can handle counts for multiple precincts, didn't have poll books until 3 p.m., according to the GOP poll challengers.

"The supervisors were called and seemed shocked, but the workers already admitted that they were told to process the ballots, even without a poll book," said an affidavit from GOP poll challenger Janice Brines of Oxford.

The first steps for counting absentee ballots should involve checking the voter's name in the poll book or qualified absentee voter list, according to Michigan's official manual for absentee voter counting boards. It's an accounting measure that is supposed to help election workers track who's voted and ensure that the number of ballots counted in a specific precinct matches the number of voters.

"You need your poll book. That’s how you begin," said Chris Thomas, who served as Michigan's election director for more than 30 years and is advising Detroit elections operations this fall. "That tells you how many ballots are supposed to be there."

But Detroit was short dozens of election workers for the primary, according to a variety of sources, including Evelyn Archer of Oxford, another Republican poll challenger. Some workers didn't show up. Others left early.

"This can’t go on,” Archer said of the primary problems. “This is not representing the true vote.”

Chris Thomas
'Far cry' from disaster?
On Wednesday, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the state's top election official, and Detroit Clerk Winfrey said they would partner to administer the election in Detroit this fall.

The effort will include recruiting and training at least 6,000 election workers and revising protocols for ballot counting and sorting to "reduce the potential for error," according to a press release.

New technology played a role in the problems in Detroit's primary, said Thomas, now a special adviser on Detroit's upcoming election. But under his analysis of precinct results, in which some precincts were allocated more votes than expected and others were allocated fewer, the citywide totals left only about 21 votes unaccounted for, he said earlier this week in an interview. More than 121,200 ballots were cast.

"That’s a far cry from major disaster," Thomas said.

Asked how concerned voters should be about Detroit's situation this fall, he answered clerks across Michigan are making adjustments to deal with record absentee ballots.

Detroit's previous high for absentee votes in an election was about 57,000, Thomas said. In the Aug. 4 primary, the city had about 80,000 absentee ballots cast, he said. It reflects about a 40% jump.

More will be cast in the upcoming general election during a pandemic and after voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing no-reason absentee voting in 2018.

“Every clerk is dealing with a pandemic situation," Thomas said. "There’s concern across the board in terms of them having the people and resources they need to get the job done. Detroit is no different."

Current Michigan elections director Jonathan Brater told the Michigan Board of State Canvassers on Wednesday that efforts in Detroit will focus on improving record-keeping and the accuracy of poll books.

"Because of the issues with recording ballots in the poll books along with the fact that ballots were in some cases put in the wrong containers, that made it very difficult for the city and the county to balance things out in the time they had available," Brater said.

Recount impact looms
More than a quarter of Detroit's absentee voting precincts, or 131 of 503 precincts, were off by plus or minus one ballot without an explanation for Aug. 4 primary when comparing poll books to ballot totals, according to information presented to the Wayne County Board of Canvassers.

Another 85 absentee precincts were off by two ballots without an explanation, 48 were off by three ballots, 26 off by four ballots and 73 off by five ballots. In Michigan, precincts with tallies that are off without explanations can't be recounted.

When totals are out of balance and votes can't be recounted, people will question what actually happened, said state Sen. Ruth Johnson, R-Holly, a former secretary of state.

"Something has to be done. It’s not just one city. This happens in a number of places," Johnson said.

Ruth Johnson
But the problems aren't new in Detroit. In 2016, election officials there couldn’t reconcile vote totals for 59% of precincts — combined Election Day and absentee precincts. For the Aug. 4 primary 46% of the total precincts couldn't be reconciled.

The poll book checks weren't the only problems, according to Republican challengers.

Multiple poll observers said they saw Detroit election workers digitally clear improper cross-over votes in the Democratic primary that should have made partisan portions of the ballots invalid. "Three or four times" Robert Brines said he saw election workers remove Democratic primary voters' choice of Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James.

"Some of the operators and observers were correcting an overvote when the ballot should be voided by the system software," an affidavit signed by Robert Brines said.

An affidavit describes what William Lethemon says he saw while working as a poll challenger for Detroit's primary election on Aug. 4, 2020.
Watching the counters
Michigan Republicans plan to closely monitor Detroit's vote-counting in November as President Donald Trump seeks reelection in a state he won by 10,704 votes in 2016.

Trump has argued, without evidence, that the efforts to expand absentee voting during the COVID-19 pandemic "will be the most rigged election in our nation's history." In July, he refused to commit to accepting the results of the election in advance of Nov. 3 — similar to what he did in 2016.

Detroit is Michigan's largest city in the state's largest county, a traditional Democratic stronghold that this fall will likely produce the most Democratic votes among all Michigan counties. In 2016, Detroit supplied 10% of Clinton's statewide vote total, while Wayne County provided about 23%.

Many of the 25 Republican volunteer primary poll challengers at the TCF Center said they plan to be back Nov. 3.

"The integrity of the vote is at stake in my opinion," said Frost, the 73-year-old from Warren.

Like other Republicans, Frost said he wants to see more poll challengers in Detroit — GOP and Democrats. The Democrats had two lawyers at the TCF Center for the primary, according to the Republicans.

"I’m here to watch you," Cushman said one of the Democratic lawyers told him.

Rosanne Ponkowski, 63, of West Bloomfield said she hopes more Democratic poll challengers are active in November, adding election integrity is the No. 1 priority.

"It’s in their interest to make sure the ballots are handled correctly. Period," Ponkowski said.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

GO BLUE! Mike Cox Is Back With Laura In Tow

Mike Cox

Mikey Cox is back and reporting has failed to mention that he was former Michigan Attorney General under Governor Jennifer Granholm who failed the children of the state who cried out to him when it came to drugging, rape, torture and death in the child welfare system.

FUN FACT! HIS WIFE, WAYNE COUNTY COMMISSIONER, LAURA COX, IS THE STATE CHAIR FOR THE MICHIGAN REPUBLICAN PARTY.

And no mention of Medicaid Fraud in Child Welfare, either.

This is where Mikey was doing before representing these victims:

Overview

When a public entity is faced with significant financial challenges, most often those challenges are not caused by a single factor. Rising costs, declining tax revenue, increased pension and health care costs, and shifting economic forces can combine to not only threaten a public entity’s ability to meet financial obligations, but also inhibit its responsibility to provide vital public services. Dykema understands that a legal approach limited to financial restructuring alone is often insufficient for handling these significant issues. We provide public entities with the comprehensive financial and structural reforms needed to restructure while maintaining the seamless delivery of services required to make fundamental organizational change.

Whether assisting public entities and officers, or representing entities interacting with public entities facing significant financial challenges, Dykema has an extensive background creating and implementing comprehensive structural reforms and financial restructurings. We take an integrated approach to the complexities of government turnarounds by calling on our broad legislative, government affairs, municipal finance, public governance (including transparency initiatives) and litigation experience to help simplify capital structures, streamline and improve government operations and services, and provide creative project and infrastructure finance solutions.

Experience

Financial Oversight

Dykema lawyers were involved in drafting legislative amendments to the State of Michigan’s various municipal oversight and financial emergency laws, and authored the statute creating a financial oversight board for the City of Detroit post-bankruptcy and for the Detroit Public Schools. On behalf of the State of Michigan, Dykema drafted and successfully negotiated the first voluntary consent agreements under Michigan’s financial emergency law with local governments facing declared financing emergencies, including two school districts, a charter township, and Wayne County (Michigan’s largest). The consent agreement with Wayne County enabled resolution of its financial emergency in less than 18 months.

Streamlining Government

Dykema has drafted more than 300 executive orders and directives, including orders merging state departments, consolidating the functions of 12 public corporations into a single debt issuer, and centralizing administrative rules and hearings, human resources, accounting, grant management and permitting functions. We have also authored and assisted with the passage of legislation providing for the sale of a former state hospital property to a global automotive OEM for the construction of a technical center, with successful defense of the legislation and real estate transaction before the Michigan Supreme Court. Building on experience gained a decade earlier in the privatization of the Michigan workers’ compensation fund, in 2015, Dykema represented the Michigan Insurance Commissioner on the conversion of the State of Michigan’s largest health insurer from a special purpose state corporation to an independent not-for-profit mutual insurer.

Pension and OPEB Solutions

Dykema boasts a dedicated Public Retirement Team with extensive experience working with and through the federal and state retirement laws—including Internal Revenue Code provisions, state statutes and the federal and state case law governing state and local retirement plans, including OPEB liabilities.

Dykema has served as consultant and special legal counsel on the State of Michigan’s defined benefit (“DB”) plans, as well as its 401(k) and 457 defined contribution (“DC”) plans for two decades, helping the State convert its DB pension plan to a hybrid DC plan, and implement graded health care, banked leave time, sick leave conversion, and employee health care payment and cost-sharing solutions. These changes have generated significant savings for the State, school districts, and local governments in Michigan.

Members of the Public Retirement Team have drafted multiple reform provisions for state and local pension and retiree health plans, and have lectured on Distressed Municipalities: The Battle Outside Bankruptcy.

Governmental Restructuring

Dykema has extensive experience creating and implementing governmental restructurings. In 2014, we helped Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (“DWSD”) restructure its $6 billion debt portfolio in a voluntary market driven alternative to cram-down in the City of Detroit bankruptcy, making successful regionalization of the enterprise possible. In 2015 and 2016, we worked with the State of Michigan to restructure the School District of the City of Detroit, protecting $1.4 billion in state contingent liabilities.

Dykema has been a leader in structural educational reform since authoring charter school legislation in the early 1990s, successfully defending the legislation’s legal challenges and representing state universities in establishing and overseeing public school academies in the last 20 years. Dykema has assisted with the consolidation, annexation and the dissolution of public school districts, with the conversion of traditional districts to charter districts. Different approaches have included:

the restructuring of the School District of the City of Detroit by creating a new district to deliver public service free of debt service burden, while stranding the debt with the old school district;

the restructuring of the school districts of the City of Highland Park and the City of Muskegon Heights where we created temporary new operating systems to deliver educational services while the old school districts pay off the debt;

the annexation of the financially-distressed Albion school district by the neighboring Marshall school district;

the dissolution of the Buena Vista and Inkster school districts with the assumption of educational functions by neighboring districts without legacy debts or costs; and the creation of consent agreements for the school districts of the City of Benton Harbor and the City of Pontiac where we developed a collaborative agreement involving locally-affected stakeholders and the State for the operation of the entity and repayment of the debt.

In 2008 and 2009, Dykema lawyers drafted and assisted in the enactment of legislation enabling the successful regionalization of the City of Detroit’s convention center, insulating it from city liabilities. This legislation was significantly based on legislation Dykema had drafted in 2002 creating a new independent authority to operate the State’s largest airport.

Tax and Revenue Solutions

Dykema assisted with the conversion of the State of Michigan's business tax model, initially in 2007 from a value-added tax to a hybrid income tax and modified gross receipts tax, and subsequently in 2011 to a corporate income tax model that substantially altered tax credits. We have secured legislative enactment of a new process for the collection of delinquent property tax (Public Act 123 of 1999) and advised county treasurers, municipal treasurers, and land title professionals on the implementation of the tax collection and foreclosure process. In 2014, our lawyers conceptualized and authored legislation eliminating taxes on business equipment while holding affected local governments harmless from lost revenue and assisted in securing legislative approval, and approval by Michigan voters in a statement referendum.

Innovations in Government

Dykema has drafted, negotiated and secured enactment of legislation establishing land bank authorities for return to productive use of tax-reverted and abandoned properties and other economic development activities. Our lawyers drafted and assisted in the passage of legislation authorizing business improvement districts in Michigan, and conceptualized and drafted intergovernmental agreements to create a “virtual city” to develop efficiencies and consolidate back-office functions and other governmental services of local governments on a statewide basis. Dykema lawyers also authored legislation enabling the creation of the nation’s first nonprofit street rail car system in Detroit, and we represent the nonprofit as it partners with the federal, state, and local governments to begin providing the first street car service in Detroit since 1956.

Public Finance Solutions

In 2007 and again in 2009, Dykema helped the State of Michigan secure much needed-transportation funding by financing in anticipation of federal funding through the issuance of GARVEEs and BABs. In 2009, we worked with the Michigan Finance Authority to restructure its over $1 billion student loan portfolio following the collapse of the auction rate market, eliminating significant contingent liabilities in the process. In 2011 and 2012, we worked with the Governor’s office and various departments to refinance $3 billion in unemployment trust fund loans from the federal government, eliminating an unsustainable federal liability. In 2013, we assisted the State of Michigan in amending the Emergency Municipal Loan Act to provide new forms of financing for distressed municipalities. At the same time that we advised on the restructuring of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, we helped create the first-of-its- kind debtor in possession financing (DIP) and secured exit financing for the City of Detroit.

Public Governance

Our team of professionals includes attorneys who have worked with and for the State of Michigan, representing the interest of the executive branch and governor, state universities, and numerous government officials and entities. Our team regularly represents governmental agencies, boards and public bodies. We have broad experience counseling such entities on a variety of issues, including public records laws, open meetings issues, conflicts of interest matters, procurement matters, political and gift ban restrictions, ethics compliance and transparency initiatives.

First lawsuit filed against University of Michigan over late doctor sexual abuse allegations

ANN ARBOR, MI — A former University of Michigan wrestler has filed the first lawsuit against UM alleging sexual abuse at the hands of late athletic doctor Robert Anderson.

Livonia attorney Mike Cox said Wednesday he has filed the first of 11 planned federal lawsuits against UM and expects to file the rest through Wednesday evening.

“My 20 or so clients, who are all ‘Michigan men’ and bleed maize and blue, found out two weeks ago that weird acts by Dr. Anderson were in fact motivated by his deviant sexual desires, No. 1,” Cox said. “No. 2, that the University of Michigan foisted this sexual predator.”

Former NHL, UM football athletes among victims of late doctor Robert Anderson, lawyer says

A majority of the former students he is representing attend UM under athletic scholarships and were forced to see Anderson “and endure the exact same assaults that the young ladies in the (Larry) Nassar case endured.”

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit, the plaintiff, who remains anonymous, received a wrestling scholarship in 1984 to attend UM. When seeking medical care, Anderson “sexually assaulted, abused and molested plaintiff by nonconsensual digital anal penetration and excessive genital fondling and manipulation under the guise of medical treatment.”

Lawyers of Larry Nassar victims hired in University of Michigan doctor sexual misconduct case

The plaintiff filed the suit anonymously because of the extremely sensitive nature of the case, Cox said.

The lawsuit alleges Anderson abused the wrestler on at least 35 occasions, "or 70 total acts of nonconsensual anal penetration and genital fondling, between 1984 and 1989.

The wrestler was between the ages of 17 and 22 at the time, according to the lawsuit.

Anderson worked at UM from 1968 to 2003 and is now being investigated after a 2018 letter from former wrestler Tad Deluca detailed sexual abuse in the 1970s, which included unwarranted hernia and prostate checks during medical exams.

Three former UM wrestlers speak out on sexual abuse allegations against late doctor

Other students and athletes endured similar abuse, which included instances described as fondling, and Anderson exposing himself during examinations, according to an extensive police report compiled by UM police. The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s office declined to issue any charges in the case, noting that Anderson died in 2008.

UM announced a hotline for victims to report any abuse on Feb. 19 and has received more than 100 calls as of Feb. 28.

The lawsuit is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorney fees and corrective actions by the university “to ensure something like this never happens again,” Cox said.

Multiple UM staffers heard rumors of abusive doctor, including one who thought he fired him

UM President Mark Schlissel last month apologized on behalf of the university to those who were harmed by Anderson and created a hotline for victims to report their abuse. The university is also offering free counseling to those affected by Anderson or Provost Martin Philbert, who is on administrative leave amid an investigation into separate claims of sexual misconduct.

The university encourages anyone who may have been affected by Anderson to call the hotline at 866-990-0111 or the Steptoe & Johnson law firm at 202-419-5162 or UofM@steptoe.com.

The Steptoe & Johnson law firm was retained not to defend the university, but to conduct an independent, external investigation, UM spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald said.

“We recognize the enormous strength and courage it takes for survivors to come forward and share their stories,” said UM spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen after the lawsuit was filed Wednesday.

“The university continues to encourage those who have been harmed by Robert E. Anderson or who have evidence of his misconduct, to come forward. It’s important that the University of Michigan hear your voices."

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Cocktails & Popcorn: They Eat Each Other Alive - More Stealin' In Detroit & Michigan GOP

They eat each other alive.

Now, that Laura Cox has called for Dana Nessel to investigate Detroit and its child welfare issues, because preterm births and infant mortality is more than just a grant, it seems we are also looking into election fraud.

The Michigan GOP has its own grant funding issues, but hey, what do I know?

I know we should ask Mikey!

Everyone loves Mikey.

Mikey is Laura Cox's husband, the former Michigan Attorney General.

Mikey can tell his story and Kwame Kilpatrick can tell his story.

Mikey and Kwame used to be buddies, but hey, what do I know?

I know there used to be chatter on the streets that Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick once said, "It is always good to have an AG in your backpocket."

I heard the rumors about the Manoogian Mansion party that did not happen the next morning and the tales were tall!

Republican Party chair calls on AG's office to probe Detroit grants office

Laura Cox

The state's Republican Party chairwoman is pointing to "serious allegations of impropriety" in her call Tuesday for the Michigan Attorney General's Office to investigate Detroit's grants office and its leader.

Laura Cox, in a released statement, noted allegations revealed in a Thursday lawsuit involving the city's Office of Development and Grants and Ryan Friedrichs, the office's chief development officer, who also is the husband of Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

“The allegations leveled against Ryan Friedrichs and the Detroit Office of Development and Grants are extremely troubling and warrant a full investigation by the Michigan Attorney General’s office,” Cox said in a released statement.

In a whistleblower lawsuit filed Thursday in Wayne County Circuit Court, ex-Detroit employee Kennedy Shannon contends she placed on administrative leave and ultimately terminated after raising concern over the city's Motor City Match program, a federally funded effort designed to aid small businesses.

Jocelyn Benson &  Ryan Friedrichs

Meantime, Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel's Office said last week that it's reviewing allegations that two city of Detroit employees were directed to delete emails related to Make Your Date, a nonprofit dedicated to premature births. One of the complaints was filed by Shannon.

The state's review comes amid a probe launched in April by Detroit Inspector General Ellen Ha to determine whether Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, also a Democrat, and city officials potentially "abused their authority" by providing preferential treatment to the program run by Wayne State University. The investigation was sparked by a Detroit Free Press report that Make Your Date received $358,000 in city grants and benefited from a fundraising campaign that a city official led at the mayor’s request.

"Emails were deleted and employees were fired. The Attorney General’s office must get to the bottom of the allegations involving the Motor City Match Program, the city’s involvement with Make Your Date, and the attempt by the Detroit Office of Development and Grants to delete emails sought through correct legal recourse," Cox said. "Will the Attorney General’s office do their duty or will Attorney General Nessel’s friendship with Jocelyn Benson allow this potential cover-up to avoid scrutiny?”

In response, Nessel spokeswoman, Kelly Rossman-McKinney, said the office is actively reviewing the complaints it received involving deleted emails.

"Friendship or not, no one is above the law," she said.

Secretary of State spokesman Shawn Starkey also responded to Cox's comments, saying: “This is nothing more than the shamelessly opportunistic ramblings of a political hack.”

Shannon's lawsuit contends that she informed Katerli Bounds, the city's director of grants, and Friedrichs that there were "major compliance and HUD regulation issues" with the match program and that the city "should not make any more payments to this organization."

The lawsuit contends that she was told by Bounds that refusing to sign off on packets for the match program was "insubordination" and could result in termination.

In response, the city provided The Detroit News with a copy of a March email from Friedrichs sent to Bounds and Shannon following the meeting.

The email noted "takeaways" arrived at from the discussion, including that "staff members are supported in their ability to make a final decision on their sign-off on a packet."

Shannon was suspended for 30 days without pay on May 1. She was terminated May 23.

Duggan spokesman John Roach told The News on Tuesday that the city "strongly believes" the allegations in Shannon's lawsuit are false and "we are vigorously contesting that case in court."

"Injecting partisan politics into this matter isn't going to contribute to resolving the legal issues," he said.

Detroit Corporation Counsel Lawrence Garcia has claimed Shannon's dismissal was tied to concerns involving her time cards. Her concerns about the match program, he said, were "welcomed" and used to improve the system.

With respect to the emails, Garcia has said that Friedrichs and Detroit's Chief Financial Officer David Massaron learned of the "possibility of deleted or missing emails" in May and moved quickly to resurrect them and turn them over to the inspector general.

Garcia has declined to provide further details, citing Ha's ongoing investigation.

Shannon, in the filing, said she also flagged Detroit's inspector general about concerns involving Motor City Match and others tied to the Make Your Date.

On Tuesday, Shannon said Friedrichs and other city staff should welcome the review.

"If Ryan and his office haven't done anything wrong and they are of the highest integrity as they claim, then they should welcome this investigation and the result of the OIG investigation as well," she said.

Background on Detroit's grant team.

Detroit's grants team grows, pulls dollars into city

Motor City Match Public Relations Slush Fund

The city of Detroit has built its development and grants compliance muscle to a team of nearly two dozen people, a third of them raising new public and private support for city initiatives.

That's a record fundraising contingent for the city and among the largest dedicated municipal fundraising efforts nationally, said Detroit's Chief Development Officer Ryan Friedrichs.

The goal? Capitalizing on rising interest nationally in the city's comeback. And there's evidence it is succeeding in bringing in outside money rather than just the usual local philanthropic stalwarts in a city that in the past had trouble actually spending the dollars it did get.

Last year, programs and initiatives in Detroit attracted over $202 million in public grants and private investment, according to the city.

Grants and low-interest loans from private foundations and companies totaled $67.4 million, with more than two-thirds of that coming from out-of-state funders.

"The goals are now bigger and bolder," Friedrichs said.

The city is going to pursue funding from even more sources, foundations that have not been in Detroit before, to fund efforts like the $250 million Affordable Housing Leverage Fund.


Ryan Friedrichs: Began as a one-man fundraising team.
"We are lucky we have a lot of foundations here ... but we also have a lot of need," Friedrichs said.

"What we're trying to do is bring that new funding to the city and not just compete locally, to cut the local philanthropic pie more, but to try to grow it."

Because of the revitalization happening in the city, it's become a magnet for investment from outside of Detroit, said Jim Ferris, director of the Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy at the University of Southern California.

Detroit is not the only city pursuing public and private grants and investment, he said. But "Detroit has put a lot of effort into it, and it's been a success."

Detroit has a spotty history on coordinating grant-seeking.

Detroit had an office of the foundation liaison staffed by David Smydra, during Mayor Dennis Archer's 1994-2001 term, but that office didn't operate during the Dave Bing and Kwame Kilpatrick administrations. And city departments were applying for grants independently of one another in the years before the bankruptcy.

To help strengthen and coordinate its fundraising muscle, the Ford, Kresge and Skillman foundations made a $1.1 million grant to the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan in 2014 to support an assessment of what each city department was doing in regards to grants and to create a framework to coordinate it, Friedrichs said.

That led to the creation of grants management and development offices in late 2014 and early 2015. Both city offices were created as part of the city's bankruptcy plan, Friedrichs said. Grants management monitored grant compliance and spending, making sure dollars were spent on time, something the city struggled with before its bankruptcy.

Friedrichs came on board in 2015, serving as a one-man fundraising team for a time until the city began ramping up its development staff the following year.

This January the city merged the grants management and development offices to gain efficiencies from their related focus. The merged office now employs 20 and is in the process of hiring three more development employees: two to seek traditional funding from public and private funders and one specializing in loan and investment capital.

It will operate on a $3.1 million budget in the coming fiscal year, down from a combined budget of $3.8 million for the two offices this year, Friedrichs said, as a result of efficiencies such as shared administrative assistants, elimination of vacant grants management positions and collecting data for grant application and reporting one time and keeping it in a single system.

"We view the city's capacity to raise philanthropic grants and to fully expend and maximize federal dollars as a critical capability to enable Detroit's recovery," said Skillman CEO Tonya Allen.

"We are inspired by the growth in revenues materialized by this office, which we believe will improve living conditions for Detroit residents."

Increasing trust, confidence and credibility in the city "will help leverage additional and much-needed public, private and charitable investments to fuel Detroit's trajectory," she said.

Part of the strategy that Friedrichs' team has helped institute is keeping a reserve of city match money that can leverage private money, he said. It's also looking for opportunities where private investment can leverage federal dollars.

It's only been a couple of years, but the development and grant teams' efforts are paying off.

In 2017, the city and third-party groups like the Detroit Employment Service Corps attracted $202.18 million in public and private funds, up from $155.7 million the year before, Friedrichs said. The city operated on a $1.91 billion budget in 2017.

The total raised includes a mixture of grants and low-interest loans to support projects that are administered by community organizations.

They include: Grow Detroit's Young Talent program, which is run by the Detroit Employment Solutions Corp; Motor City Match and Motor City Re-Store, which are run by the Detroit Economic Growth Corp.; and the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund, run by the Detroit Development Fund.

"The goal of our team is not to just support more funds going into city coffers, but to help Detroit compete nationally for resources that improve the lives of Detroiters," Friedrichs said. "And that can mean partnering departments with community organizations via a memorandum of understanding."

Within the total, public support rose $18.1 million between 2016 and 2017. Private support from foundations and companies rose to $67.4 million last year from $39 million in 2016.

Funding from Michigan foundations and companies was fairly static last year, decreasing to $26.62 million from $26.78 million the year before.

Out-of-state funders provided over 60 percent of the total private support coming to the city last year, up from 31. 5 percent in 2016.

Looking forward
Investment is pouring into Detroit to support its rebound, but how will the city sustain those programs when grant and loan dollars run out?

"Philanthropy has really not pulled out of any programs we asked them to support. ... It's really the other direction. They've kind of come in with more support," Friedrichs said.

The city is budgeting to take on $2 million of the $10.2 million cost of Grow Detroit's Young Talent in the coming fiscal year.

The key to sustaining efforts supported through short- and midterm grants and investments is braided funding that combines federal grants and city funds, Friedrichs said.

"Grant funding from foundations is never going to be long-term."

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Prosecutor Proposes Jailing Parents As Commissioners Ask For More Jails

Michigan uses third grade reading scores to forecast prison populations to build new jails.

Prosecutor proposes jail time for parents who miss teacher conferences

New York (CNN) -- A county prosecutor in Michigan is proposing a law that could punish parents with jail time for repeatedly missing their children's parent-teacher conferences.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy introduced a proposal Tuesday at a Detroit City Council meeting that would require a parent to attend at least one parent-teacher conference a year or face up to three days in jail, according Maria Miller, Worthy's press secretary.

The proposal, which Worthy has also sent to the state legislature and the Wayne County Commission, would exempt parents whose children are performing exceptionally well or who are actively engaged with their children's teachers. Parents who are unable to travel for health reasons also would be exempt.

So far the proposal has met with mixed responses.

Detroit Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown applauded Worthy's idea, saying he would support legislation.

"It's child abuse when your child is failing in school and you're not involved, because you are strapping that child to a life of poverty," Brown told CNN.

He noted, however, that jailing parents for missing school meetings might not be practical and suggested altering the punishment. "If it's not jail maybe it's something else, but we've got to do something to get the parents' attention," he said.

Daniel Lessard, a member of the Livonia Public Schools board, said that he agrees with the need to get parents involved, but called the idea "the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"You can't legislate parental involvement. I think this proposal is purely political and a real neat way to get your name in the paper," Lessard said.

Wayne County Commissioner Laura Cox, R-Livonia, blasted the proposal because she feels that Worthy has bigger problems she needs to deal with first. "Kym Worthy has a record of complaining that her office doesn't have enough funding to prosecute violent crimes, and now she wants to put parents in jail. It's despicable," Cox said.

According to the proposed ordinance, teachers would work to accommodate parents' schedules by setting up conferences at any time during the day. Additionally, any parent convicted under the law would have their sentences delayed to give them another chance to attend a meeting. If they do, the charges would be dropped.

At present there is no legislation pending in the state House, County Commission or City Council.

Kym Worthy was not available for comment Thursday.

Wayne County commissioners to vote on $700M bond for new jail, court
Darren A. Nichols / The Detroit News
Detroit —Wayne County officials may spend $700 million for a new jail and court facilities, a plan some are questioning amid the rough economy.

The County Commission is set to vote today on a 30-year bond for a $300 million jail. A formal, final vote is Nov. 4. Some commissioners want to issue another $400 million in bonds to consolidate all of Wayne County's courts.

The New Child Abuse and Neglect Task Force

At the City of Hamtramck inauguration of the its newly elected officials, I approached one of the officials, a mayoral appointment to the city's recently created Child Abuse and Neglect Task Force, Darla Swint.

In casual, superficial conversation, I asked her about the activities of her Child Abuse and Neglect Task Force. I wanted to know when and how often were the meetings convened. I wanted to review the agenda, and publish it, being a public document. Basically, I wanted to know if this Task Force was going to continue pumping the same garbage all the Task Forces do. I should have known.

With a scowled face, followed by the dismissive snatch of the head and rolling of the eyes, Darla Swint had the audacity, or rather ignorance, to ask me why I wanted to know. Shocked and dismayed, it was obvious she knew nothing of what she was doing.

Patiently and simplistically, I explained that child welfare policy was my area of recognized expertise. Madame Swint began to swell at the chest and challenge me by informing me that she had worked as a Wayne County child welfare worker for years.

Then, I asked if she was focusing on the fraud, waste and abuse in child welfare.

Well, I was put in my place! Madame Swint emphatically stated, "Everyone knows about the fraud. It has been going on for years. So what." [sic].

I responded, "Why did you never report it?" I was met with instructions to email her. I sent my Quo Warranto. That was the last I heard from her.

I share this story to open the door into the world of self-sustainability. Child Abuse and Neglect Task Forces (CANTF) have done nothing but justify its own existences by securing public and private funding to ensure current policies never change. Members of CANTFs participate to further failing political careers, for lack of any other abilities to pad their resumes.

The purpose of a CANTF, came from Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act amendments to examine the rise in the phenomena of child abuse and neglect. States and local governments began to coordinate these consorita of foster care lobbying entities and and child placing agencies to "solve the problems of abuse and neglect and to improve the quality and scope of child protective services."

Never once did anyone think that the problem and scope is the fraud. When I say fraud, I mean:

*improper removals of children
*unnecessary removals of children
*improper payments
*fraudulent documentation
*fictitious court cases
*kiddy kickbacks
*phantom services
*phantom children
*double-billing
*murder
*billing for deceased children
*over-medicating children
*physical and sexual abuse
*defalcation
*embezzlement

In Michigan, the Children's Trust Fund, is one of the funding sources for the County CANTFs in the state. In 2005, Wayne County Commissioners had created a CANTF. With around about $10,000, County Commissioner Laura Cox, seen here, got together with her colleagues and created the a Wayne County CANTF in response to the horrific death of the boy Ricky Holland.

There were a few phone calls made and that was it.

There was no possible way the Wayne County CANTF would even attempt to touch anything dealing with child abuse and neglect because, in Wayne County you see, the State Attorney General is the only one with prosecutorial power in child abuse and neglect proceedings. That would mean Laura Cox would be held accountable to her husband, Mike Cox. That would mean the Attorney General would have to hold itself accountable to its own Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave.

With that said, I shall calmly await for the first unproductive report from the Hamtramck CANTF to continue the tradition of doing absolutely nothing but perpetuating the fraud.

A more progressive potential of these CANTFs would be to take the collaborative example of Federal Interagency Workgroup on Child Abuse & Neglect (FIWCAN) and create joint local initiatives with local law enforcement and H.E.A.T. to stop Medicaid fraud in child welfare and establish accountability and transparency, while generating a substantial source of community funding by becoming relators in filing their own FCAs. There may even be opportunity to access ARRA funds.

But, what do I know about child welfare policy? Nothing according to Darla Swint.