WARREN, Mich. – Warren Mayor Jim Fouts responded with a Facebook post Wednesday after a newly released recording alleged he threatened to shoot his former chief of staff.
"I've got that f------ Henry. I'd like to take a two by four and I'd like to beat the f------ sh-- out of him. That's what I'd like to do. I'd like to beat the f------ sh-- out of him. I'd like to take a gun and shoot him through the f------ head."
The Henry who is being referred to is Fouts' former chief of staff, Henry Krzystowczyk, who died earlier this year. Local 4 took the recording to Primeau Forensics to determine whether this is or is not Fouts.
Fouts declined an interview with Local 4, but took to Facebook to call out the timing of the recording's release.
Read the full post from Fouts at the bottom of this article.
"The biometric measurement program came back and said, 'Yes,' the speakers in both of these recordings is the same," Ed Primeau said.
Primeau compared the newly released tape against a recording that is confirmed to be Fouts. It was tested three times for forensic analysis. According to Primeau, the likelihood the new tape is Fouts is 99.3 percent.
Secret recordings of Fouts have been leaking out of Warren City Hall since 2013. Tuesday's tape is similar to one recorded by a former top Fouts appointee, who turned it over to Michigan State Police because the mayor was threatening to beat and shoot two former city employees. Fouts admitted it was him in that tape.
The rest of the leaked tapes have been done so anonymously and not sent to police. Fouts has claimed the tapes are manufactured.
Primeau has confirmed multiple past secret tapes are Fouts' voice.
Fouts' post about the recording is below:
Regarding three issues on Tuesday night October 22, 2019: Enough is enough regarding the latest anonymous tape. My dear...
Posted by Jim Fouts on Wednesday, October 23, 2019