DETROIT (WXYZ) — Speaking publicly for the first time, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said he will cooperate with a City Inspector General investigation into him and a program he supports that involves a women with whom he is personally linked.
The story first started last week in the Detroit Free Press and the investigation was opened on Friday.
The Mayor said today, “The office of Inspector General does what the world has come to, reads a story in the paper and says 'I am going to open an investigation'.”
The Mayor says Make Your Date was originally set up as a non-profit to reduce infant mortality in the City of Detroit. The program became part of Wayne State University and Dr. Sonia Hassan is the director.
Mayor Duggan said, “I am a supporter of Wayne State University’s Make Your Date program. And Dr. Hassan never took a dollar.”
Mayor Duggan was videotaped by a private investigator driving out to Dr. Hassan’s home in the Novi/Wixom area last year. The videos was made public by Bob Carmack, who is charged with fraud in a Detroit land deal and has been publicly feuding with the Mayor.
When asked if Dr. Hassan is a factor in his support, the Mayor would only say, “What I’m saying is Dr. Hassan is one of the country’s experts in pre-term birth.”
The Mayor drew the line on his relationship by saying, “I’m never going to talk about my personal life, as you well know. But I’d say this. This is the world we live in today. And so we’re now in the next one. And I’m going to cooperate 100% with the OIG.”
It is not known how long the investigation will take.
