DETROIT – There's a battle brewing at Detroit City Hall that could get ugly.
Mayor Mike Duggan is facing accusations from a businessman named Bob Carmack. Duggan said Carmack is issuing threats to settle property dispute lawsuits in Carmack's favor or else the mayor will be publicly embarrassed.
- A news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Carmack hired a private eye to follow Duggan. He released video of the mayor, suggesting the mayor is having an affair. Carmack is insisting there is more to this, and that it could all come out on Wednesday. Carmack is hosting a news conference at 11 a.m., just two days after the mayor held his own news conference to address the accusations.
Duggan is standing tall and assuring Detroiters that he will not sell them out to protect his family or reputation from a potential extortion plot.
"This is a terrible situation. I have to choose between protecting the interests of the city or protecting my family. I had some long conversations this weekend with my family and they are fully supporting my decision that the mayor of Detroit has got to put the interests of the people first, so no matter how painful the consequences may be, I am not going to give in to these threats," he said.
Carmack said he followed Duggan because he heard rumors about something going on in the evenings when the mayor leaves his special protection team.
"I'm just trying to get the character that he is, from the rumors that I had that, you know, that there might be something going on after 7 o'clock. He leaves his special protection team after 7 and he goes on his own. I figured I'd follow him to see what he was doing, and this is what I came up with," said Carmack.
The mayor said Carmack owes the city of Detroit $1 million for selling property he did not own. The city intends to get back the money for taxpayers, no matter what Carmack does to Duggan personally.
"I have no idea what it might be, but I needed to stand up and say I don't care what it is, I won't give in to the threat," said Duggan.
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