DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is denying that he has ties or directed money to a nonprofit organization that's under investigation by the Michigan attorney general.
The investigation surrounds the Make Your Date nonprofit aimed at preventing pre-term births and the Wayne State doctor who leads the organization.
A billboard stunt by Detroit businessman Robert Carmack designed to embarrass Duggan for showing up at a woman's house has turned into two investigations.
Dr. Sonia Hassan is the woman in Carmack's video, and she's also the director of Make Your Date.
The city auditor general is investigating to see if Duggan or city officials showed favoritism to the program.
The attorney general's office is investigating if Make Your Date is properly raising money as a nonprofit organization.
Duggan said he welcomes a thorough look.
"Here is what I know for sure: Not one dollar of city money every went to the nonprofit, so when this is all said and done, this has been an intentional effort to confuse all this," Duggan said.
The mayor said the GuideStar nonprofit watchdog website will back him up, and it does show Make Your Date as inactive.
Hassan is part of Wayne State's Make a Date program that works on the problem of premature birth, and city officials said the program is making a big difference in Detroit.
"We've got an individual doctor who volunteered her time to help women and never took a dollar, so I feel comfortable and we will let the investigations take their course," Duggan said.
The attorney general has sent the city two letters requesting information, but the requests haven't been answered by the city. Duggan said the requests will be answered.
"What I was told is they have until May 22 and they will have their forms filed by then," Duggan said. "That's the beginning and end of what I know."
The attorney general's investigation will follow the money and find out where it comes from and where it goes. It will uncover whether the money is under the umbrella of a nonprofit. It needs to have the proper paperwork.
Duggan is confident the nonprofit is inactive and the Wayne State program is on the up and up.
There's no timetable for the investigations, but they would go much faster if officials from the city, the program and the nonprofit cooperate in turning over records. If not, it will take subpoenas, which will take much longer but still result in the answers the attorney general seeks.