Petition Filed To Recall Wayne County Executive Ficano
DETROIT (WWJ) - Despite telling WWJ's Pat Sweeting that he won't resign from office, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano has a new worry -- he is now the target of a recall petition.
As WWJ's Vickie Thomas reports, Plymouth attorney Richard Convertino has filed a petition at the Wayne County Clerk's office to have Ficano booted from office.
Convertino, who is a former federal prosecutor, is representing Ralph Kinney, who last year filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against the executive, saying he was fired for talking to the FBI. But, the county says Kinney was let go because he wasn't showing up for work.
The question now is can Ficano survive the storm swirling around his administration as a result of that $200,000 severance package to Turkia Mullin, given to her when she left as Wayne County's development director to become CEO of Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
With the political winds shifting, even Wayne County Commissioner Bernard Parker said he would not be surprised if there is support for a recall effort. Barker said it would be a shock if the recall efforts were successful, but adds that it only takes one incident for things to change.
Mullin has said she will return the money and Ficano said two county employees were suspended and another fired over the severance debacle. Still, that wasn't enough to stop the FBI from investigating the scandal.
