As PerfectStormer first reported, John Conyers made a statement this past Saturday at the Michigan Policy Summit in Detroit that could at best, be described as bizarre about the possible appointment of Michigan Governor Jennifer to the Supreme Court.
I was there for his speech, and I know I wasn't the only one in a room of 500+ that was trying to make sense of what the congressman was talking about as he clumsily stumbled through what were obviously unprepared remarks.
But exactly what he was talking about, and more importantly why he was talking about it should absolutely go to the statement's validity, or rather lack thereof.
In the words of Paul Harvey, and now...here's the rest of the story...
Given the most recent events involving both Conyers and his wife Monica, the question must be asked regarding the motivation behind Saturday's comments.
Two possibilities exist - that John Conyers is upset about the recommendation that Granholm actually made about a candidate for an assistant U.S. Attorney, or that the story was concocted simply as excuse to trash Granholm's name in front of the media.
If the story is true, is John Conyers upset by the prospective candidate(s) because:
- Both Conyers fear the appointment of an assistant US Attorney that is as resolute as Granholm and thus would seriously threaten the political future of his wife, given her checkered past and the fact that she is also currently under federal investigation.
or did John Conyers invent the story as payback because:
- Monica Conyers opposed the removal hearing of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick that Granholm ultimately ended up presiding over?
- Monica Conyers vehemently opposed the transfer of power over the Detroit landmark convention center - Cobo Hall - from the City of Detroit (Conyers' turf) to a tri-county metropolitan authority, which Granholm backed?
Monica Conyers is currently the Vice President of the very contentious Detroit City Council. For a brief tenure, she served as President of the Council while current president Ken Cockrel served as interim mayor.
The most recent history of Monica Conyers makes the typical Jerry Springer episode look tame.
Cobo Hall Drama
Earlier this year, John Conyers began his attacks on Governor Granholm over the fight of Cobo Hall, a fight which Monica Conyers led to kill the proposed deal, which was backed by Granholm.
John Conyers - Cobo Protest
Monica Conyers - Cobo Protest
John Conyers made some questionable statements at the rally, claiming there to be stimulus money for Cobo when even his own staff and the Detroit Free Press couldn't even confirm that.
If, as U.S. Rep. John Conyers suggested on Saturday, it is "more likely than not" that funds from the $787-billion economic stimulus bill could be used to cover the cost of expanding and renovating Detroit's Cobo Center, he seems to be one of the few in the nation's capital to make mention of it.
On Monday, even his staff was researching the issue to determine if any such money would be available.
A Free Press analysis of the bill could not locate any such funding source and agencies tasked with doling out the money said it was unclear whether Cobo would qualify and, if it did, whether there would be enough to cover the $288 million needed.
And there's another warning from the congressman, as covered by the Michigan Messenger -
When the City Council president’s husband, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, spoke to the crowd, he urged everyone involved in the heated debate to "be reasonable," saying that there should be additional talks with Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and Gov. Jennifer Granholm. The congressman said that state and regional leaders risk losing any future support from supporters inside the city limits.
"Don’t turn your back on your friends now," Conyers warned the governor. (emphasis added)
Kwame Kilpatrick Scandal
- First, Monica Conyers was the only City Council member to vote against asking Kilpatrick to resign as mayor. The vote was 7-1 in favor of asking Kilpatrick to resign. (Detroit News, 5/14/08)
- Next, Monica Conyers voted against formally censuring Kilpatrick (7-2 vote in favor of censuring).
- Then, Conyers voted against asking the Governor to begin forfeiture proceedings against Kilpatrick (5-4 vote in favor of beginning forfeiture proceedings).
- Finally, Conyers (Barbara-Rose Collins and Martha Reeves) went so far as to send a letter to Governor Granholm saying that Kilpatrick didn't do anything wrong to deserve removal from office.
The Detroit News (5/14/08)*
Detroit council votes to begin ouster against Kilpatrick, ask governor to remove him from office
The City Council has just voted, 5-4, to begin forfeiture of office proceedings against Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and ask Gov. Jennifer Granholm to remove the mayor from office.
The landmark vote came about 12:20 p.m. The council also voted 7-2 to formally censure Kilpatrick, who faces felony charges from the text-message scandal engulfing City Hall. Only Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers and Councilwoman Martha Reeves opposed the censure.
The Detroit News(6/10/08)*
Council trio to gov: Drop mayor action
A faction of the City Council opposed to ousting Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is urging Gov. Jennifer Granholm not to remove him, saying they weren't deceived into an $8.4 million whistle-blower settlement at the heart of the mayoral scandal.
Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers sent a letter May 27 that asks Granholm to refrain from using state powers that allow governors to unseat elected officials for misconduct. The letter disputes the council's claim that Kilpatrick violated the city charter, claiming there is "no factual basis whatsoever" that members were duped into the deal.
Detroit Free Press (6/11/08)*
Brian Dickerson column: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS WITH MONICA
Monica Conyers, who was among the first to demand a City Council investigation into the text-messaging scandal, now wants to be Kwame Kilpatrick's savior.
In a petition delivered to Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Monday, the council's president pro tem and two of her council colleagues insist Detroit's mayor has done nothing to merit removal from office.
If the petition represents a sneak preview of his criminal defense, Kilpatrick's chances for exoneration could be better than I thought; jurors may die laughing before they have a chance to convict him.
Conyers & Co. maintain that the $8.4 million Detroit paid to settle the infamous whistle-blower suit against the mayor represented a shrewd bargain for the city, which actually owed the plaintiffs $9.4 million, by Conyers' calculations.
(Never mind that jurors had awarded the plaintiffs just $6.5 million, or Conyers' conclusion, after hearing testimony from the plaintiffs' lawyers, that the city had been bamboozled.)
...
Conyers & Co. told Granholm there was "no basis" for special counsel Bill Goodman's conclusion that Kilpatrick had used taxpayer money to conceal evidence that might be used to humiliate or prosecute him.
(Never mind the multiple witnesses who testified that Kilpatrick, who initially vowed to appeal, had authorized the $8.4-million settlement within hours of learning that the plaintiffs had obtained the damning text messages.)
As for Goodman's findings, they reflect little more than the special counsel's "bias and self-interest."
(Never mind that Conyers herself provided the critical vote to put Goodman in charge of the text-messaging investigation, explaining that "he has no connections to nobody anywhere, so there's nothing about him that's going to be self-serving.")
Monica who?
Conyers was the lone council member to vote against a resolution requesting Kilpatrick's resignation. Even some of those who joined her petition have attempted to distinguish their positions from hers.
Barbara-Rose Collins, who signed Conyers' letter along with council colleague Martha Reeves, told the Detroit News she agreed that the governor should stay out of the scandal but not with Conyers'"reasons and legalese."
And Collins isn't the only one looking to put some distance between herself and the mayor's would-be savior.
U.S. Rep. John Conyers recently introduced his wife to a well-attended news conference by her maiden name, Monica Estes.
The longtime congressman is seeking his 23rd term this November, and he probably figures he hasn't done anything to meritremoval from office, either.
The Detroit News (6/13/08)*
McPhail sent plea not to oust mayor
A nine-page plea from a dissenting bloc on the City Council asking Gov. Jennifer Granholm not to oust Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick made to it her office last month with the help of the mayor's general counsel, Sharon McPhail.
Records released Thursday show that McPhail originally forwarded the letter written by President Pro Tem Monica Conyers' office and signed by Barbara-Rose Collins and Martha Reeves to Granholm on May 28. All three cast votes last month against asking Granholm to remove Kilpatrick or beginning an impeachment-like process. The measures passed 5-4.
The revelation upset Collins.
"I wouldn't send a letter to the governor at the mayor's request," said Collins, who has urged Kilpatrick to resign, but opposes Granholm's involvement. "I do not want to be the mayor's errand boy. I wish I hadn't signed it now."
Conyers has said she didn't send the letter to support Kilpatrick, but wants the criminal process and council's in-house forfeiture process to remove him to play out. Conyers couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.
The Detroit News (6/13/08)*
Mayor's lawyer forwarded letter supporting Kilpatrick to Granholm
A letter signed by a trio of council members to Gov. Jennifer Granholm urging her not to oust Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was forwarded to the governor by Kilpatrick's General Counsel Sharon McPhail.
McPhail forwarded the letter from President Pro Tem Monica Conyers on May 28, according to records located on a new Web site created by the Governor's Office that contains documents related to removal attempt. The site is at http://www.michigan.gov/...
Conyers has said she didn't send the letter to support Kilpatrick, but wants the criminal process and city council's in-house forfeiture process to remove him to play out. But the letters released on the governor's Web site Thursday show McPhail's involvement. Kilpatrick designated McPhail as his representative in the governor's review.
Conyers and McPhail couldn't immediately be reached for comment Thursday.
Councilman Kwame Kenyatta had criticized Conyers' letter, alleging that it was written by the mayor's office to defend himself.
Detroit Free Press (6/13/08)*
Council Rift Grows over Pro-Kilpatrick Letter to Granholm
Link to Mayor's Aide Discovered; Kenyatta Furious
Detroit City Council members learned Thursday that a letter by three council members opposing ouster hearings against Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick had been sent to the governor by Sharon McPhail, a key Kilpatrick aide.
The disclosure - which seemed to imply that the mayor is orchestrating the council opposition - embarrassed at least one council member who signed the letter and showed deepening schisms on the council over moves to unseat Kilpatrick.
"I think the letter was divisive. I'm sorry I signed it," Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins said.
...
Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel, part of a council majority favoring Kilpatrick's ouster, was critical of Conyers' judgment.
"I think that is really bizarre - that an action purportedly taken by actions of council would be forwarded to the governor by the mayor's office," Cockrel said. "That's unheard of in my experience. Monica Conyers couldn't mail her own letter? This is ludicrous."
Councilwoman Alberta Tinsley-Talabi, who, like Conyers, opposes the ouster hearings, said she had refused to sign Conyers' letter because it was unnecessary.
"In no way should it be construed that I was supportive of that letter," she said.
...
Of Conyers, who is council president pro tem, Foster said: "It's really hard to read her. She was lined up against the mayor, and now she's moved to a staunch supporter without a lot of rhyme, reason or logic to explain it."
The Detroit News (6/28/08)*
Nolan Finley(column): Conyers' behavior another blow to Detroit
Don't be too quick to breathe a sigh of relief when Gov. Jennifer Granholm finally removes Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Why? Two words: Monica Conyers.
I'm not saying Conyers is crazy. But her behavior is so consistently erratic that she's guaranteed to keep the embarrassing spotlight focused tightly on Detroit long after Kilpatrick is gone.
...
Conyers is the council's most divisive figure. Good luck to her in convincing her colleagues to follow her lead. For added spice, Conyers also is the focus of a federal investigation into city contracting. It's entirely possible that Detroit could have both an indicted former mayor and an indicted council president.
Conyers will keep the storm raging in City Hall and derail any chance of post-Kwame stability.
After the Monica meltdown, I got a call from a member of Metro Detroit's economic development committee, who agreed that Detroit may be going from the fat to the fire.
"How am I supposed to sell this city with this kind of leadership?" he asked.
...
Shrek, uh, Cockrel ought to be tearing apart the City Charter to find an avenue for denying Conyers the presidency.
And if it can't be done, Granholm ought to put Conyers on her hit list.
Now that the governor has started fixing the mistakes of Detroit voters, there's no point stopping until the job is finished.
Updated:
Other Misdeeds of Monica Conyers
- Allegations have been made that Monica Conyers paved the way for her brother, an ex-con with a violent past, a job with the City's building department.
- A former aide of Monica Conyers claims that she is under investigation by the FBI
- That same aide is also being investigated, along with the rest of the Detroit City Council, for a a pay-to-play scandal involving a contract between the City Council and a waste management company, Synagro. Conyers is alleged to have played a sizable role, along with several other players.
- Monica Conyers' outlandish behavior isn't subjected to just the inside of City Council. She was involved in a bar fight in Detroit which police were called.
Detroit News 4/3/09
Conyers got ex-con brother city job
Detroit --A top city official says City Council President Monica Conyers pulled strings to get her brother, an ex-con with a violent record, a job in the building department that was to last only 120 days but was extended for two years.
"She came up to me, handed me his resume and said 'You should hire him. He's a good guy,' " said Amru Meah, director of Building & Safety Engineering.
Reggie Esters, 38, was fired from the $30,500 job last summer on claims of chronic absenteeism. About the same time, he was charged with 10 felonies stemming from allegations he brandished a shotgun at two people, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to one count and faces sentencing April 17.
Records obtained this week by The Detroit News show Esters submitted a resume showing he worked continuously for two construction firms from 1999 to 2006. State records show he was incarcerated for assault and weapons charges for much of that time.
Meah said Conyers wanted her brother hired as a $50,000 inspector, but he wasn't qualified and wouldn't pass a license exam. Instead, he was hired as an investigator who checked if businesses are properly licensed.
Conyers, whose maiden name is Esters, said Meah is wrong. She denied that Esters is her brother, despite papers filed in Wayne County Probate Court in 1976 that identify them as siblings with the same parents, Robert H. and Alice Esters.
Politico.com: John Bresnahan (via CBS News)
Monica Conyers Under Investigation by FBI, Former Aide Says
A former aide says that Monica Conyers, Detroit city councilwoman and wife of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), is under investigation by the FBI.
"Sam Riddle, a political consultant who worked as Conyers’ chief of staff after she was elected in 2005, said Monday that agents also told his attorney they had been tapping Riddle’s cell phone for the past year," the Detroit Free Press reported.
"'After leaving that interview, I became firmly convinced there are council people that are clearly targeted,' he said, adding of Conyers: 'I believe they’re looking at her real hard.'" Riddle was referring to a June 6 interview with FBI agents.
"Riddle said he has not seen Conyers do anything illegal," the newspaper added.
Riddle said that, in his view, the investigation of Monica Conyers is retaliation for her husband's investigation of the Bush administration.
"I’m firmly convinced that there are elements in the U.S. attorney’s office who would love to make a case against anyone whose last name is Conyers, if for no other reason than to embarrass the chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee," Riddle told the Free Press. Riddle added: "Councilwoman Conyers can do that on her own without the assistance of the FBI. She’s demonstrated that time and time again."
Monica Conyers is a controversial figure, both in Detroit and Washington. The House ethics committee looked into allegations several years ago that Conyers was using his congressional staff to assist his wife's political campaign. The investigation was eventually concluded without any action taken, although Conyers was warned to be more cautious in the future.
Detroit News: 1/29/09
Conyers aide under fire
A lawyer for a strip club official says his client told a federal grand jury Wednesday that a top aide to then-City Councilwoman Monica Conyers offered to deliver her vote on a permit transfer for $25,000.
The onetime aide, Sam Riddle, denies the claims, which came the same day he held a news conference denying he accepted or delivered bribes in connection with the multimillion-dollar Synagro sludge deal.
Jim St. John, CEO of Deja Vu Consulting, alleged he and a colleague met with Riddle in a Dearborn restaurant in November 2006, days before the City Council was to vote on the Zoo Bar's bid to transfer a topless permit, St. John's attorney Brad Shafer told The News on Wednesday.
"At some point in the conversation, Sam Riddle indicated for $25,000 he could, or we could get, Monica Conyers' vote," said Shafer, adding his clients refused to pay.
Detroit Free Press: Amber Hunt Martin 12/23/05 (via RedOrbit)
Monica Conyers in Fight at Bar
Dec. 23--Monica Conyers -- who is married to Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., and who will take a seat on the Detroit City Council next month -- got into a fight with another woman at a bar, police sources told the Free Press on Thursday.
The councilwoman-elect's spokesman, Sam Riddle, confirmed the confrontation but claimed Monica Conyers was randomly attacked by a drunken woman at a party and was forced to defend herself.
Conyers, 41, who was elected to the City Council in November, filed a police report on Wednesday, accusing the other woman -- identified by police as Rebecca Mews of Walled Lake -- of attacking her early Tuesday morning at Crossroads Lounge on Livernois in Detroit.
Mews filed a report on Tuesday accusing Conyers of starting the fight. Detroit police are trying to determine which woman's version of events is true. No charges have been filed.
"What's the truth?" Riddle asked Thursday. "A drunken woman attacked the councilwoman and she defended herself."
Mews didn't return phone calls seeking comment Thursday. Neither did the man police described as her date.
Police officials spoke on condition of anonymity about the incident because of the potential political sensitivity involved.
According to one police source, Mews alleged Conyers arrived at a party at the bar and began asking patrons to buy her a drink.
When no one did, she approached a man at the bar and said, "I know you're going to buy me a drink," the source said, citing Mews' police report.
Mews, who was with the man at the bar, wasn't pleased, and the two women began to fight, the report said. The women each say the other struck first.
Riddle criticized police for talking to the media about the incident. He said Conyers hasn't requested special treatment.
"When the facts are sifted through, what is going to be discerned is ... a councilwoman was attacked -- pushed -- which is a battery," Riddle said.
After that initial contact, Riddle acknowledged, there was what he called an "altercation" as Conyers "defended herself."
Police described it as more of a slap-fest.
By the time officers arrived, other patrons had begun fighting. Mews and a 44-year-old man were treated for minor injuries.
Conclusion
It goes without saying that both Congressman John Conyers and his wife Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers have a checkered past on their own, and more than a bone or two to pick with Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.
So whether John Conyers' story on Saturday concerning a possible candidate for US Attorney as the basis for him withdrawing his support for Granholm as a possible SCOTUS nominee is fact (yet to be proven) or fiction, it's clear that both the voting public and the elected body must take what he says with a well-measured grain of salt.
*Denotes archived story, public link now unavailable