More Detroit Drama: Monica Conyers Snarled in Bribery Probe

Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 4:42 am
By: Corey Williams, Associated Press


DETROIT (AP) — City Council member Monica Conyers, the wife of a prominent congressman, sought political support from Baptist pastors and prayers from constituents Tuesday as her re-election bid collided with a corruption probe involving cash bribes handed over in fast-food parking lots.

A person told The Associated Press that Conyers is the "Council Member A" listed in a court document as receiving more than $6,000 for her fall 2007 vote on a multimillion-dollar sludge contract. She has not been charged. The information comes from a person with knowledge of the investigation who asked not to be named because the person was not authorized to speak publicly.

No suggestion has been made that Conyers' husband, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has any role in the investigation, and it appears unlikely to dent his nearly 45-year political career. In Washington, he said he hadn't talked to his wife Tuesday and wasn't aware of any discussions with prosecutors.

Monica Conyers, meanwhile, asked for prayers during her weekly public access television show, without directly addressing the scandal that has the FBI investigating how Houston-based Synagro Technologies won a $47 million-a-year contract to recycle sludge from a wastewater treatment plant.

"All these things that are going on right now ... I believe in my heart that God will deliver me from them," said Conyers, 44. "And so I say to all of the people out there: If you're not praying for me, then you're just adding to the problem."

Officials at the U.S. attorney's office did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday. After the show, Conyers ignored questions about the case or any possible plea deal.

"I'm not going to talk to you today, tomorrow, next week. What difference does it make?" Conyers told the AP.

Earlier Tuesday, Conyers met for three minutes with the influential Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit & Vicinity as one of many candidates seeking a political blessing ahead of the city's August primary.

"As of this morning, the lady has not been indicted," said the Rev. Oscar King, the group's president. "We're not passing judgment at this point because we're being pastoral in the political process."

Monica Conyers is a relative neophyte in elective politics compared with her husband. John Conyers, 80, has never received less than 82 percent of the vote since he was first elected to Congress in 1964. He faced no Republican opposition in the latest election.

Voters first put Monica Conyers on the Detroit council in 2005. She served as council president for about eight months until Ken Cockrel Jr. returned to the post in May after serving as interim mayor following Kwame Kilpatrick's September resignation over a text-messaging sex scandal that sent him to jail for 99 days.

The sludge scandal broke in January when Jim Rosendall, Synagro's Michigan representative, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. His plea agreement described how he distributed cash and other gifts to officials, including an unidentified Council Member A, to win the city business.

The probe cooled for nearly five months, at least publicly, until Rayford Jackson, a local businessman and Synagro contractor, pleaded guilty to the same charge Monday and said he gave more than $6,000 to Council Member A.

Jackson said a courier delivered $3,000 to the council member on Nov. 20, 2007, the same day Conyers joined with the majority in approving the Synagro deal 5-4. An unspecified payment was made a month earlier outside a Mr. Fish restaurant, and another $3,000 was passed in a McDonald's parking lot in December of the same year, Jackson said.

A month before her vote, Conyers expressed concern giving the sludge contract to Texas-based Synagro would lead to the loss of .....



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Blacks in political office ain't learned NOTHING from these "devils". And it always involved a relative of a prominent/respected official. She needs to get a rope and hang her ownself, and the Church needs to shun her, not support her, but those Hypocrites gonna support this Ding-Bat!! Hard as we fought to get respect, these idiots do this!!!


by   
Beedybo
June 26, 2009, 8:48 pm
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Let me get this straight writertracey she takes a bribe and you feel sorry for this broad?? But if someone white does the same thing its business as usual?? Can you say hypocrit? You liberals get on my nerves being hypocrits and elitest. Whether you are black or white and you do something wrong you are wrong. Something Obama cant understand


by   
TRUBLKM
June 17, 2009, 9:29 pm
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Need a “reality_check” & Jiggy-white-boy-racist, have you ever heard of INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty? I don’t know how many times I’ve probably been investigated, but I’ve been arrested 29 times between 17-30. NEVER, not one time have I ever been convicted. Just because a Black person is "investigated" does not = guilty. There U go (reality_check) with UR assumptions. Maybe she married because she was in love, how would you know, just because no one has ever loved you.


by   
Sevennotrump
June 17, 2009, 2:21 pm
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Writertracy, Oh this nicca is dumb. A $47 million a year contract and she risk it all for 6 thousand? Nicca please, she need to get 600k, but she ain't that smart is she? "Ain't do nufin wrong"....Gurl get your shiggidy azz up out of here.


by   
Jiggy5
June 17, 2009, 11:52 am
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I feel bad for her. Any exchange of money is a problem for Black Americans. We live in a capitalistic society, greedy corporations up the ying yang. Folks left&right, Black&White, northsoutheastwest, competiting(some terrible,some best), and because the Sister gets some ca$h, there's always a problem. What's up with that?How else is she going to have any money to do the things she needs to get done for herself, her family, and her community. I don't believe she did anything wrong, or any dumber than Palin.


by   
Writertracy
June 17, 2009, 10:53 am
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Detroit City Council member Monica Conyers is part of a probe involving cash bribes handed over in fast-food parking lots.

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