Mike Duggan
.jpg)
Destruction of Criminal Records
Duggan has been implicated in the destruction of vital criminal records during his tenure as Wayne County Prosecutor from 2001 to 2004. Thousands of criminal files from 1995 and earlier were allegedly removed from an off-site warehouse and destroyed in violation of Michigan state law, which requires prosecutors to retain files of defendants serving life sentences for at least 50 years or until the inmate dies. Current Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy directly implicated Duggan's administration in this purge, stating that during his tenure, employees "were enlisted to locate and purge the files that were on site and located in the off-site storage."[1]
The destruction of these records has created significant obstacles for wrongfully convicted individuals seeking to prove their innocence. The files contained crucial evidence, including police and forensic reports, lab results, transcripts, witness statements, and video recordings. Without access to these materials, individuals like Carl Hubbard, who has been imprisoned since 1992, face nearly insurmountable challenges in their pursuit of justice.[1]
Duggan has denied involvement, claiming he had no knowledge of any purge and suggesting that if records were destroyed, it could have been done by the Wayne County Building Department without his knowledge. However, the prosecutor's office disputed this characterization, asserting that they maintained "custody, management, and control over the files stored in the warehouse."[1]
Towing Industry Connections and Controversies
The towing industry in Detroit has been a particular flashpoint for corruption allegations during Duggan's tenure. Multiple sources indicate concerns about his administration's handling of towing contracts, with critics alleging that Duggan took punitive actions against certain towing companies in retaliation for their filing lawsuits against the city. Simultaneously, accusations emerged that he provided preferential treatment to his friend Anthony Soave, who tows vehicles for the city and owns several impound lots.
This controversy gained additional significance in light of Soave's past. He previously admitted to federal investigators that he provided approximately $300,000 worth of flights and a Rolex watch to former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, establishing a troubling precedent of towing industry operators seeking to influence Detroit mayors through valuable gifts and services. While no similar direct gifts to Duggan have been publicly documented, the administration's towing policies have nonetheless raised concerns about potential favoritism and conflicts of interest.
Adding to these concerns, Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross Business School, identified "towing and social welfare organizations" as "perennial avenues for corruption in Detroit" in an interview with The Detroit News. The persistence of corruption concerns in these areas across multiple administrations suggests systemic issues that Duggan's administration has failed to address adequately.
Make Your Date and Conflict of Interest Allegations
One of the most significant controversies of Duggan's mayoral administration involved the "Make Your Date" program and his relationship with Dr. Sonia Hassan, who later became his wife. Duggan allegedly directed city funds and resources to this program, raising obvious conflict of interest questions. The situation worsened when it was revealed that city staff involved in fundraising for the program were ordered to delete relevant emails when media began investigating the connections.
Duggan allegedly directed city funds and resources to a program run by Hassan. This arrangement raised obvious conflict of interest questions and concerns about whether personal relationships were influencing the allocation of limited city resources. The situation worsened when it emerged that city staff involved in fundraising for the program were reportedly ordered to delete relevant emails when media began investigating the connections.
The severity of these allegations led to investigations by both the Michigan Attorney General's office and Detroit's Inspector General. [17]
In September 2020, Duggan and the city won the annual Golden Padlock Award, which recognizes the most secretive U.S. agency or individual, for the intentional destruction of emails.[18]