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Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Detroit mayoral candidate used your tax dollars to send a birthday card to a dead woman
The "little birdie" who told Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield it was Eren Stephens' birthday left out one crucial detail before Sheffield used taxpayer money to send her a birthday card: Stephens died six years ago. Why Sheffield would send a birthday card to a dead woman is just one of many questions people are asking about her use of city funds to send literature and greeting cards from her city council office at the same time she's running for mayor. Among the most common queries: Why did Sheffield, who represents District 5, send a card to someone who lives, er, lived, in District 4? Is Sheffield using public money to boost her mayoral campaign? What other kinds of mail is Sheffield using taxpayer dollars to produce and send to Detroiters? How much of our money is Sheffield using to send voters birthday cards and greeting cards? I can provide answers to some of those questions, since my wife and I — who also live in District 4 — recently received mailings from Sheffield's city council office encouraging us to invite her to speak at a community meeting, to an upcoming event, or at our church. And even though I've been a father for every one of Sheffield's 12 years in office, this was the first year I received a "Happy Father's Day" card from Sheffield's city council office. It occurred to me that this is also an election year, but I still appreciated the image of the coffee mug on the front with "World's Greatest Dad" emblazoned on it. The 3-inch-by-3-inch photo of the mug was the same size as the mug of Sheffield on the front of the card. A smaller version of Sheffield's photo was on the back, next to nearly inch-high letters spelling out her name, which were more than twice as large as the letters spelling out "Detroit," and about four times larger than the letters spelling out "city council." In much smaller type was information on the city's Fatherhood Program and a family assistance program for dads. If anyone had bothered to ask, I would have told them I preferred that the money spent producing and mailing the slick full-color card had been spent on the city's Fatherhood Program and the family assistance program for dads. Which brings us to the part of my column where some might criticize me for what journalists call "burying the lede." That's a term that refers to a reporter's failure to put the most important stuff at the top of their story. Rather than delay the potentially big news with more inside baseball on journalism, it's time for the reveal: Since deciding to run for mayor, Sheffield has spent more than $100,000 in taxpayer money to send Detroiters — mainly those with a history of voting — literature, postcards and birthday cards. That total doesn't include the Mother's Day and Father's Day cards she sent on our dime this year. Those mailings may have added more than 20 grand to the bill we taxpayers footed as Madam President shared glad tidings along with vaguely useful tidbits of city news. I asked Sheffield's campaign and city council staff if I could speak with the council president about these mailings. Even though Sheffield found time to send me a card acknowledging my fatherhood, she could not find time to speak with me. Instead, her chief of staff Brian White sent me a text that Sheffield apparently dictated in response to my query about whether she is using city resources to further her political ambitions. It said: "They're nonsensical allegations and attempts to sully my reputation because I'm a leading candidate for Mayor. I have been mailing constituents since my tenure on Council and, as Council President, I receive additional funding for these purposes because it is recognized that my position now has citywide implications and responsibilities." In other words, to paraphrase an old shampoo commercial: "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful." Not all of Sheffield's assertions are true, which we'll get into shortly. We'll also examine what else Sheffield said in her text, which she concluded by essentially saying anyone who questions her motives is a racist. When elected officials send constituents mail using taxpayer dollars, it's called "franking." This is a goofy way of saying "free postage." Everyone with a mailbox has received plenty of mail from their elected representatives extolling their efforts and highlighting services of which constituents may avail themselves. Such as bulk trash pickup dates. Or where to meet officials for a chat over coffee. My congressman and state senator send me so much stuff their franking is more like spamming. At least state Sen. Paul Wojno's mailings are chock full of updates on what legislation he's working on, helpful tips on how to reduce my tax bill and where to get free help filing my taxes, and which events and festivals are being held in our district this summer. Each mailing, like virtually all franked mail, features a flattering photo of the sender on the cover as well as heroic looking photos of the sender sprinkled throughout the missive. As part of our coverage of Detroit's municipal elections, my colleague Violet Ikonomova filed a Freedom of Information request in March for all mailings sent by each of the nine Detroit city councilmembers since 2022, when their most recent four-year term started. Ikonomova, a dogged investigative reporter, also requested the cost of these mailings and information such as whether they were sent to the councilmembers' district or citywide. Only one of the councilmembers provided what we believe to be a complete set of records. Three others provided partial responses. Sheffield did not provide any records until three months after Ikonomova's request — and then only after I called to ask about the council president's use of city mail. After reviewing the documents, I understood why Sheffield was not in a rush to fork them over. The records show that in June 2023, Sheffield spent $19,887 in taxpayer money to send literature to people in her district. The records don't show what was in the literature, or who it was sent to, but a notation on the city purchase order said the addresses were to be drawn from "state or city of Detroit" voter files, indicating that Sheffield's intended audience wasn't her constituents so much as district residents registered to vote. Sheffield made her ambitions for higher office official two months later by forming a mayoral campaign committee on Aug. 17, 2023. Less than two months later, on Oct. 9, 2023, Sheffield spent $9,349 in taxpayer money on 16,000 birthday cards she could mail to voters 65 and over in her district, which stretches from Indian Village to downtown, Midtown, Boston Edison and north to Highland Park. In June 2024 — 10 months after creating her mayoral campaign committee — Sheffield made what records indicate was her first citywide mailing. City procurement documents show she sought to print 120,000 postcards to send to 95,000 households. "The data files for mailing will include all Voters from the 2021 General Election from All Districts in the City of Detroit for the printing project," the records said. The cost to taxpayers? More than $28,000. Sheffield's most expensive mailing came in January, when she used more than $43,000 from her city council budget to print and mail 88,300 birthday cards for Detroiters 60 years or older. People over 60 — especially those who are still alive — are typically the most likely to vote. City records from April also show Sheffield received a quote for $11,807 to send 27,000 Mother's Day cards. The paperwork Sheffield provided does not show whether she followed through on the deal, but I have heard mothers received a card this year from Sheffield's city council office. Since Ikonomova's record request was made in the spring, we didn't get any paperwork detailing how much was spent on the Father's Day card I received, though I suspect I wasn't the only one to receive a card. I think it's fair to assume the cost to print and mail those cards was similar to the Mother's Day card project. The text message Sheffield's chief of staff sent me on the council president's behalf said: "Mailings have been a consistent part of efforts to connect with residents since I began serving City Council nearly 12 years ago. All of my mailings are approved by the Office of Contracts and Procurement and are in fulfillment of my duties as the City Council President." That is artfully said, but the city's procurement office handles contracting matters. I've never heard of them monitoring the content of anything a city councilmember mails. I'm also not aware of any city regulation that requires elected officials to send out literature — let alone birthday and holiday cards. The text Sheffield's chief of staff sent said the greeting cards that "provided resources on the back of the mailing (are) simply a more budget friendly way to provide residents with information and resources to improve their quality of life than a citywide newsletter which I did earlier in my term as Council President." Reading that came as a big relief to me, because I was worried the cards might be a misuse of city funds to give an elected official an unfair advantage over mayoral rivals who didn't draw a paycheck backed by our hard-earned money. If you're looking for detailed rules on how Detroit elected officials can spend taxpayer money, good luck. Detroit's two at-large city councilmembers, who are elected citywide and are expected to respond to concerns from residents throughout Detroit, have an annual budget of $1.4 million to spend as they see fit. The city council president, who is selected by their fellow council members, has a budget of $1.3 million. Council members who represent any one of the Detroit's seven districts, get $1.2 million to spend on staff, supplies and expenses such as mailings. Current and former councilmembers and staffers I spoke with said there are not many rules for how councilmembers can spend the money. The city charter says "elective officers, appointees, appointive officers and employees are prohibited from engaging in campaign activities using City property and assets, or engaging in such activity during working hours." Stephen Grady Muhammad, who was former City Council President Brenda Jones' chief of staff, said there were few rules for how council members could spend their budget. "Unless there's some guidance that says something's a no-no," he said, "I think everything's on the table." "If somebody's sending something to communicate with constituents, that's probably part of a perk of being an incumbent," Grady Muhammad added. Opinions on that topic differ. I spoke to former councilmembers who were elected citywide and they said they didn't send out birthday cards. And they questioned why a councilmember elected to represent one of the city's seven districts would need to send anything to residents outside their district. "If she's mailing citywide, I don't think that passes the smell test," said one former councilmember elected at-large who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid angering someone who could be Detroit's next mayor. Sheffield, via the text her chief of staff sent me, said: "In the first time in Detroit's history, a Council President has been selected from a District seat. As the City Council President, residents have the expectation that I represent the whole City which I embrace as the one who sets the agenda for our meetings." My source conceded that Sheffield may be able to justify sending mailings outside her district because, as council president, there may be some subjects she needs to address to the entire city. Still, the former councilmember said there was no justification for sending greeting cards outside the district. "The only reason she did that is to advance her mayoral campaign," my source said. "It's not a good look." Saunteel Jenkins, a former city council president who also is running for mayor, said she only sent out mail from her city council office that was "educational or informational." "If you think about it, the expense of sending out a birthday card, first you have to track the birthday of registered voters, then you have to send them out, then there's the expense of printing the cards," Jenkins told me. "That's not a good use of city resources." "I'm sure that if you asked a constituent: 'Would you rather have the expense of a mailing or a police officer?' " Jenkins posited, "I'm pretty sure they would rather have the police officer." Fred Durhal, the District 7 councilman running for mayor, said his office doesn't send out many birthday cards. He joked that Sheffield's greeting cards are a problem for him with constituents who receive one. Durhal said they tell him: "Well, you didn't send me a birthday card!" Jenkins and Durhal — who are Black — questioned whether Sheffield was using city resources to bolster her mayoral campaign. Nevertheless, Sheffield said in the text White sent me: "This is only being made an issue now because I am candidate for Mayor and a Black woman, in my opinion." I used to call Bill Laytner "The Lighthouse Keeper," because while everyone else abandoned the Free Press offices during the COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in 2020, Laytner always seemed to be at work, keeping the light of truth shining and using his considerable talents to help us navigate any crisis. I also think it was too painful for him to spend much time in his east-side home after his beloved wife, retired Detroit Police Sgt. Eren Stephens, died after a heartbreaking battle with multiple sclerosis. Stephens passed in 2019, so Laytner was surprised in April when a birthday card from Sheffield arrived in his mailbox. A cartoon bird and a row of balloons spelling out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" graced the front of the card, alongside a large photo of Sheffield. The council president had her city hall address, phone number and email on the back, next to an invitation to join her virtual office hours. "Is it purportedly standard operating procedure for the city council president to comb the records and send a birthday card to somebody that doesn't actually exist," Laynter asked me, "or is this the city council president using city resources to ingratiate herself to a constituent as she runs for mayor?" Laytner said this was the first year Sheffield sent anything to his home in District 4. "It didn't seem to have any function for governmental notification that's legitimate," Laytner told me. "I was just disappointed that she would use government money in that way. "And, obviously, it's a complete waste," he added, "because it was sent to somebody who's gone." Sheffield, via her chief of staff, passed the buck. "My office staff determines the list of recipients working with the vendor chosen by the Office of Contracts and Procurement in an effort to control costs and have the mailing fit into my budget constraints," she said in the text White sent me. "Any list will always have some imperfections but the overwhelmingly and vast majority of the recipients are current residents." That's a relief, since Sheffield has said repeatedly during the campaign that the next mayor will have to deal with fewer resources and a potential budget crisis. In the meantime, Sheffield said her cards, "have been well received and prompted residents to become more engaged with city government and obtain assistance with a plethora of issues." She also seemed to apologize to Laynter via White's text to me, which said: "I empathize with any resident who experienced any undue grief a communication from my office unintentionally caused." Sheffield was not so gracious with anyone questioning her motives. Not that I'm counting, but this is at least the third time Sheffield has accused me of being a racist for asking questions she doesn't like. The first time was in 2014 when I reported, based on erroneous information provided by the city of Detroit, that she was responsible for getting the windows tinted on her city vehicle. The second time was in 2024, when I reported that one of billionaire Dan Gilbert's companies provided her free space to hold her annual birthday fundraiser. Sheffield didn't play the race card last week, when I reported that she misled supporters by claiming she didn't take campaign contributions from billionaires and corporate PACs, when she absolutely does. But I guess it was just a matter of time before Sheffield resorted to the tired old dodge, which she seems to trot out when she doesn't have a better answer to questions about matters like why she spends so much of our money sending us marginally useful propaganda. Still, it's good to know Sheffield thinks I'm one of the World's Greatest Dads. If she tries to deny it, I have the taxpayer-funded card she sent me to prove it. M.L. Elrick is a Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter, director of student investigative reporting program Eye On Michigan, and host of the ML's Soul of Detroit podcast. Contact him at mlelrick@ or follow him on X at @elrick, Facebook at ML Elrick and Instagram at ml_elrick. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mayoral candidate used tax dollars to send birthday card to dead woman
ABC News
29-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
New York City's Mamdani vows to 'reject Trump's fascism'
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani vows to 'reject Trump's fascism' in speech after former Governor Andrew Cuomo's concession.
Al Arabiya
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Press review: Trump wins the NATO Summit and Mamdani makes waves in New York
In this episode of The Dailies, Rawia Alami takes a look at important news stories, reports, analysis, and articles published in newspapers and media outlets across the world. Newspapers focused on the outcome of the NATO summit, viewing it as a total win for US President Donald Trump. The leaked intelligence report that undermines Trump's claims of the extent of damage dealt to Iranian nuclear site by American strikes received attention and an equal amount of uproar. Zohran Mamdani's win in the mayoral primary elections in New York was also widely discussed by American outlets.
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Zohran Mamdani's Success Is Especially Meaningful for Muslim New Yorkers
Zohran Mamdani's stunning performance in the Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday amounted to a watershed moment for Muslim New Yorkers, who could see one of their own lead City Hall for the first time should he succeed in the general election in November. New York City is home to roughly one million Muslims; they made up 12 percent of the electorate in the 2021 mayoral election. Mr. Mamdani wove his faith into his campaign from its earliest days, hitting the trail while fasting for Ramadan and taking his message of affordability to mosques and Muslim community centers throughout the city. His triumph over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who led in most polls throughout the race, was driven by the diverse coalition of voters he built that included young people, people of color, and first-time and infrequent voters. Muslim voters played a large role in growing that base. The cooperation among Democrats from different backgrounds was especially heartening for some, who saw his background as an example of a new generation of leadership. 'A Muslim son of immigrants might become mayor of NYC in part because he cross-endorsed and supported a Jewish candidate and Black candidate, and vice versa,' Wajahat Ali, a liberal commentator, wrote on social media, referring to Mr. Mamdani's cross-endorsements with Brad Lander and Michael Blake. 'It's a beautiful American story for the rest of us.' Mr. Mamdani also used his faith to push back against allegations of antisemitism prompted by his outspoken criticism of Israel and support for Palestinians in Gaza. In the final days of the campaign, he tearfully recounted death threats he and his family had received, explaining the fear and anxiety caused by such threats on the grounds of a person's religion. Mr. Mamdani also alluded to those criticisms in his speech declaring victory early Wednesday. 'There are millions of New Yorkers who have strong feelings about what happens overseas. I am one of them,' he said, adding that he would 'not abandon my beliefs or my commitments' to fighting for human rights. Mr. Lander, who is Jewish, sought to project unity between the two faiths at his election night watch party, saying, 'We are not going to let anyone divide Muslim New Yorkers and Jewish New Yorkers.' Prominent Muslim leaders also weighed in on his success. Nihad Awad, the national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, wrote in Arabic on X that Mr. Mamdani's win on Tuesday was 'a victory for Palestine and justice' and called for protection for him and his family. Tim Balk contributed reporting.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Live Updates: As Race Tightens, N.Y.C. Mayoral Candidates Are Set to Debate
With only two days left before early voting begins, the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City has narrowed into a two-person race between former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. Mr. Cuomo, 67, a moderate from one of New York's best known political dynasties, remains ahead in nearly every poll. But Mr. Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, appears to be closing the gap, and is running a high-energy campaign promising free buses, city-owned grocery stores and a freeze on rent for certain regulated units. After dozens of forums, parades and town halls, Thursday night's debate will offer them and five other candidates a final chance to confront their rivals and potentially alter the trajectory of the contest. Primary Day is not until June 24, but early voting is slated to begin on Saturday across the five boroughs. The tightening margins have forced Mr. Cuomo's once-sleepy campaign to lurch into motion. This week, he rolled out a series of high-profile endorsements while deep-pocketed allies and business interests poured millions of dollars into super PACs pummeling Mr. Mamdani with ads. Mr. Cuomo, who came under heavy attack himself in last week's debate, will bring that fight directly to Mr. Mamdani tonight. The former governor is almost certain to hit the assemblyman on his past support for defunding police forces, question how he could realistically raise billions of dollars in new funds to pay for his expensive programming proposals and lampoon his comparatively thin résumé. If the past is any guide, Mr. Mamdani will strike back with questions about the millions of dollars in contributions to a pro-Cuomo super PAC from billionaires and companies with business before the city. He has argued New York needs a new generation of leaders. The stakes are just as high for Brad Lander, the city comptroller, Adrienne Adams, the City Council speaker, and Scott Stringer, the former comptroller. All three candidates have high-level government experience and loyal followings, but they have struggled to open up a third lane. Each could benefit from a memorable moment that they could try to use to keep themselves in contention. Two more candidates — State Senator Zellnor Myrie and the financier Whitney Tilson — are lesser-known and have only small chances of winning the race. But Mr. Tilson has been an especially persistent attack dog against Mr. Mamdani and could play an outsize role onstage. Two candidates at last week's debate failed to qualify for tonight's. They are State Senator Jessica Ramos, who endorsed Mr. Cuomo late last week despite her lacerating criticism of his record, and Michael Blake, a former assemblyman. Mayor Eric Adams will not be on the debate stage because he is running for re-election as an independent.
