The FBI executed search warrants on Wednesday at Detroit City Hall and the homes of two Detroit City Council members as part of a probe into public corruption.
In detail: Dozens of FBI agents carried out a sealed warrant in Detroit on Wednesday, searching and seizing boxes of evidence from Coleman A. Young Municipal Center and the homes of Detroit City Council members Janeé Ayers and Scott Benson.
The exact focus of the investigation remains unclear, but Tim Waters, the FBI special agent in charge in Michigan, made clear in a statement to reporters on Wednesday that the purpose of the raid was to collect evidence of public corruption.
“Why are we doing these search warrants? Because the citizens of Detroit have a right to a city government that is free of corruption,” Waters stated.
Although reporters witnessed FBI agents leaving the search locations with boxes of evidence, no charges were filed on Wednesday.
“Simply what we’re doing today is collecting evidence, which will be presented to the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Michigan, who will make all decisions on charging in this ongoing investigation,” Waters clarified.
The big picture: Only a month ago, another Detroit City Council member, Andre Spivey, was indicted on a federal bribery charge for his role in accepting more than $35,000 in payments to influence votes “concerning an industry under review by the council.”
These FBI investigations represent the largest federal case against Detroit public officials since Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted of racketeering conspiracy charges in 2013 and sentenced to 28 years in federal prison. Former President Donald Trump granted Kilpatrick clemency when he left office in January of 2020.
Worth noting: The raid on the home of councilwoman Ayers comes three years after her name appeared in a wiretap investigation into bribery committed by Detroit towing baron Gasper Fiore. No charges were filed against Ayers in that investigation.
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