NPR (Audio): Elected officials in Detroit face a widening federal public corruption probe

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Some elected officials in Detroit face a federal corruption probe just as an election approaches. This news is testing the public’s faith in its elected leaders. WDET’s Eli Newman reports.

ELI NEWMAN, BYLINE: Detroit City Council has nine elected members, and nearly half have been implicated in a sprawling criminal investigation. This year, two council members resigned from office after pleading guilty. Two other council members had their homes and offices raided by the FBI. They have not been indicted. Chantel Watkins is a labor organizer here. She says Detroiters already deal with a lot of problems, and the corruption probe is just another hurdle. …

NEWMAN: The hope for many residents is that the current political upheaval will lead to reforms. Beth Rotman agrees. She’s with the policy group Common Cause.

BETH ROTMAN: Often, these scandals lead to more public awareness of how these ties can actually begin on the campaign trail and also in the relationships that form because of the connections between wealth and policy outcomes. …

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