FBI Raids Detroit City Hall, Homes of Two Council Members

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided Detroit’s city hall building and residences of two council members on Wednesday. The raids are part of the bureau’s federal corruption investigation in the Democrat-run city.

Fox News reported:

The FBI is executing search warrants at the homes of Detroit City Council members Janeé Ayers and Scott Benson, as well as offices in the city’s Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. […] The searches follow charges against councilman André Spivey three weeks ago, when he was charged on one count of conspiracy to commit bribery for allegedly accepting more than $35,000 to be “influenced and rewarded” for votes. […] The raids are the largest federal investigation into Detroit city hall corruption since former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted eight years ago on racketeering conspiracy charges, the outlet reported.

Speaking to reporters, FBI special agent Tim Waters confirmed the search warrants had been carried out at multiple locations, including the city hall.

“Why are we doing this? Why are we doing these search warrants? The citizens of Detroit have a right to a city government that is free of corruption,” he said.

Earlier Wednesday, FBI spokeswoman Mara Schneider stated that agents were at city hall and the home of Ayers.

“We are conducting a search warrant there,” Schneider said of of the council member’s home. “We are also at city hall.”

No criminal charges have been filed against the council member.

Both Ayers and Benson have yet to issue statements regarding the matter. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s office would not comment on the matter when asked by Fox News.

“Clearly, there is a culture of corruption that doesn’t stop at the city line or the county line,” Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross Business School, said in an interview with the Detroit News.