Government officials at three levels want more answers on a controversial $200,000 severance payment to Wayne County's former chief development officer, Turkia

 

Awada Mullin. Mullin received the payout in August when she left the county to become CEO of Metro Airport. She later agreed to return it after a public outcry.

As an internal review by the administration of County Executive Robert Ficano continues, county commissioners have scheduled a Thursday hearing to get more answers.

At noon today in Lansing, the House Oversight, Reform and Ethics committee will hold a hearing on a resolution from state Rep. John Olumba, D-Detroit, asking Attorney General Bill Schuette to investigate "the severance payment scandal to determine if any misconduct or malfeasance occurred."

Olumba already has sent a letter to Schuette asking for the investigation, but wants the full House to join in the request.

Wayne County Commissioner Bernard Parker, who serves on the board that runs Metro Airport, also has asked that board to question Mullin publicly about the scandal.

"I want to make sure she had no involvement in anything illegal or anything that was part of a cover-up," said Parker, who voted to hire Mullin. "At this point, I don't have any reason to believe she has, but it's something she needs to answer in a public forum."

Parker said he asked the chairwoman of the airport board, Renee Axt, to call a special meeting in October because the board's next scheduled meeting isn't until November. Axt said she would do it if a majority of the board agreed, Parker said.

About 30 protesters from a group calling itself the Coalition Against Corruption in Wayne County Government marched outside the Guardian Building on Monday, calling for Ficano to resign.

The group marched for about 30 minutes, carrying handmade placards, some reading "Investigate Ficano" and "Ficano must step down." Chants of "Investigate Ficano" echoed through the downtown streets.

"We went through the whole saga of corruption with Kwame Kilpatrick and now we're thrust into a whole new saga of corruption with Ficano," said Sandra Hines, 57, of Detroit, who led the protest. "He needs to step down."

Hines said the protesters were not county employees or members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, who have picketed Ficano over labor disputes.

 

Source: DETROIT FREE PRESS