Detroit bribery scandal trail leads to consultant and councilwoman
From Sunshine Review
June 16, 2009Evidence pointing to eight Detroit city officials, lobbyists and consultants has led prosecutors to the nationally known a political consultant from Flint, Sam Riddle, and Councilwoman Monica Conyers in a federal bribery scandal out of Detroit.
[edit] Bribery in Detroit
Conyers and her former aide Riddle join the other 6 alleged accused of bribery to aide Houston-based Synagro Technologies confirm a multimillion dollar contract with Detroit.[1] The other officials include former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, lobbying firm owner Bernard Kilpatrick, former Detroit CAO and CIO Derrick Miller, Kilpatrick's former assistant and later political consultant Mike Tardif, developer and consultant Rayford Jackson and lobbyist Akunna Olumba. The contract sparking the scandal was set to award Synagro with a $47 million annual contract to recycle biosolids from the city’s waste treatment plant.[2]
[edit] Trial in progress
On June 15, 2009, Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, as he is charged with paying tens of thousands of dollars to city officials and Bernard Kilpatrick in an effort to get the council's approval of a $1.2 billion solid waste disposal contract with Synagro in 2007. The Free Press reports that court documents and anonymous sources hold evidence to Riddle's part in monetarily swaying the council [3]. Synagro's former vice president James Rosendall pleaded guilty in late January.
[edit] External links
- Detroit city council
- Synagro technologies
- Sunshine Review, "Monica Conyers pleaded guilty to bribery"
[edit] References
| |||||||
