John Conyers' Wife Implicated In Detroit Bribery Case

DETROIT — 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.

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"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 jobs in Detroit, home to the ailing auto industry and plagued by some of the highest home foreclosure and unemployment rates in the country.

"I don't understand why we can't do that ourselves here in the city of Detroit. ... I don't see how a company that just may have 10 African-Americans is more important than the people in that community," she said at a public hearing.

In his plea deal with prosecutors, Rosendall said $25,000 was spent after the Synagro vote to ensure that Council Member A and others in favor of the deal would not withdraw support. The contract was rescinded and Rosendall was fired after his guilty plea in January.

In a separate matter, the council in March 2007 voted to allow a yard-waste composting operation on land controlled by Rosendall. He said an "intermediary" in that deal passed $5,000 to $8,000 to Council Member A.

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Associated Press Writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.

Comments

[JohnHKennedy]

Monica Conyers has been convicted of bribery in Detroit.

The sad part is that her husband Rep. John Conyers is in danger of being implicated as well.

This article in the liberal Michigan Messenger entitled
"Riddle implicates John Conyers in wife’s corruption troubles"
http://tr.im/qopG

suggests that Rep. Conyers has some explaining to do.

[auntlulu]

This woman has a long history of bad behavior in council meetings and out in public. She even had an incident in a hotel while out of state for a Superbowl game. Check her name on "You Tube". She is an embarassment. She should have been nothing but a bad memory years ago but it just may take the Feds to do it because Detroit is unable and unwilling to get a grip on the bad seeds in the schools, government, public works, etc. Thugs are in charge and stuff their pockets until nothing is left and cry for help from the rest of the state and country. When questioned on how they are spending the money they then cry that it is nobody's business what goes on in their city! I hope the Feds keep swinging the ax. The city needs HELP!

[noudidnt]

Monica Conyers is unprofessional and incompetent. This is a welcome development and let's hope that Detroit is able to change its charter in order to elect council by wards/district. In the next 10 years, I have a feeling that the State of Michigan will put Detroit into receivership, like Highland Park. Dave Bing's election is simply delaying the inevitable.

[Physicsmom]

I live in Detroit area, and Monica is a whack-job and disgrace. Her husband's good name is what got her into office. Council elections include up to 50 people and are winnowed down by name recognition pretty much exclusively. Even now that she's shown her true stripes she'll be re-elected unless she goes to jail. Such are Detroit politics.

[Kalel]

How good is his name now? I find it difficult to believe he was clueless on the matter. His record in congress isn't as clean as some might suggest. The people of Detroit simply have a history of re-electing their politicians even after indiscretions. If Monica were to run for re-election, which she has declared she won't, the race would very likely be a close one.

[jesthefaxman]

a crook is a crook no matter how small. I never thought the facts about her would reach daylight, they've been buried so long. It will be a wonder if anything comes of this article....Conyers and his wife are as insulated from prosecution as Cheney.

[sarabono]

This is typical Chicago and Detroit style Democratic Politics. When I was a young fellow in Chicago, this type of payoff for a good deed was called "Walk Around Money". Da Mayor Daley Sr. used it a lot. That is how Democratic "Block" Leaders got people to the polls.

[henrypapillon]

How long before they catch Sarah Palin in some Payola , pay to play or bribery scheme or using state funds for personal use (embezzlement.)

[solarian]

you will have a free room at the motel i.e. prison

[RobinSeattle]

I'm a Democrat, but Conyers is an idiot and his wife is a megalomaniacal fruit loop. Isn't there some way we can get these two to retire from political life?

[Montgriz]

Pelosi could begin to push the ethics committee to end their " investigation"....this guy is a crook....enough!

[knosiswar]

Payback to John Conyers for holding the Downing Street Memo hearing in which Cheney and the rest of the administration where exposed for lying to the American people and having created the 'cause' for war with Iraq.

[slarabee]

I agree.

[WowJones]

What is she, half his age?

[moxieme]

I know, it's hysterical isn't it? She's 44 and he's been an elected official for 45 years! I am cracking up. He's her sugar daddy and he's probably going to take a poitical hit. I just don't undertand how someone, male or female, can have a rep for being so politically savvy, but when it comes to sex, they just act like fools.

[chedar]

When are these republicans going to learn that they will always get caught with thier bribes?

[constitutional 1]

She is a democrat m.o.ron

[whocan]

Chicago and Detroit politics ... Nationwide now

[Altruth]

Now? It has alway been this way, but undercover!

[Disuberence]

"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."

Yep, business as usual for the religious types.

[MikeRdg]

Kwame Kilpatrick had prayed also to the Lord........ then hopped on a jet for his Texas mansion, that Republican Karmanos provided for KK -- and a job no less! Hands across the waters in Detroit, no difference between Republican of dem in Detroit-- or the greater Detroit Area.

[NoelGreco]

Monica is no more religious than a stray cat in heat.

She does have a couple decks of cards she likes to deal, though, one's racial and the other one's religious. Pulls one or both out when she gets herself in trouble.

Monica's actions don't say a thing about "religious types."

Democrat types, maybe.

[noudidnt]

I see you like to play the R_A__C_E C_A_R_D.

[mom2sons]

Like my mom always say, "lay down with dogs, get up with fleas!" LOL