Detroit — Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield—the leading candidate in next week’s mayoral election—carried on an intimate relationship and took at least one trip with a contractor to whom she voted to award tens of millions of dollars since 2017, a Sheffield aide confirms.
Sheffield never disclosed the relationship or the trip, nor recused herself from voting on those contracts, the aide confirmed in a written statement.
“They were getting to know each other but weren’t in a committed relationship while he had business before City Council,” wrote Brian White, chief of staff for Council President Sheffield. “However, because she had no pecuniary or financial interest in the contracts or matters before Council, she was obligated to vote when present.”
That statement flies in the face of city rules and ethical standards, however. The city ethics ordinance clearly states: “A public servant shall not accept gifts, gratuities, honoria, or other things of value from any person or company doing business or seeking to do business with the city.”
Then there is Executive Order 2012-1: “Any employee, as defined in this Executive Order, who exercises significant authority over a contract is prohibited from having a personal relationship with the contractor or any person who provides goods or services to the City of Detroit under the contract.” (A city councilperson is defined as an employee under the executive order.)
According to the 2019 Board of Ethics annual report, Sheffield asked in early April about disclosure requirements for a personal relationship. The board advised that the public servant “should exercise caution that her/his judgment and action on behalf of the City remain independent, and refrain from sharing any confidential information with any outside entity.”
Making the situation more odious, the contractor with whom Sheffield had the relationship is the subject of a sprawling criminal investigation into whether he bilked the city and poisoned the people.
Brian McKinney, owner of the Gayanga demolition company, stands accused of using toxic dirt from the old Northland Mall and other sites and dumping it into demolition holes in the city of Detroit.
McKinney was suspended last month from further work in the city of Detroit pending a final determination from the Office of the Inspector General.
McKinney, whose career in Detroit was nurtured by current Mayor Mike Duggan, received at least $64 million in city contracts since 2017, demolishing nearly 2,500 abandoned houses.
According to city council minutes reviewed by Michigan Enjoyer, Sheffield has voted every single year to award McKinney contracts.
McKinney, who did not respond to requests for comment, has contributed more than $13,000 to various Sheffield campaign funds over the past year, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The nature of the relationship between the politician and demolisher came to light by way of an anonymous letter. That letter detailed an April 2019 trip to Miami and a weekend stay at the Four Seasons hotel, where a standard room costs more than $500 a night.
“She doesn’t recall the specifics of the trip which took place over six years ago,” wrote Sheffield’s chief of staff. “However, in our opinion, the details of her private life in this instance are inconsequential because she did not have a duty to disclose or recuse herself from any vote based on the City’s Ethics Ordinance and the advice she sought and received.”
The ethics ordinance clearly states: “All public servants and contractors must be vigilant in promoting and safeguarding ethical practices in the conduct of government business.”
If Sheffield is elected mayor, she will join an inglorious list of predecessors who comingled public funds and private relationships.
Kwame Kilpatrick was found guilty of perjury, which led to his resignation in 2008, after he lied under oath about an affair he had with his chief of staff.
Mike Duggan was investigated for steering money to his former gal-pal and now wife and then destroying emails documenting the fact. The inspector general found that the Duggan administration had abused its office. Attorney General Dana Nessel declined to file criminal charges, however.
Election day in Detroit is Nov. 4th.
Charlie LeDuff is a reporter educated in public schools. Follow him on X @Charlieleduff.
