Eric Sabree

In 2016-2017, Sabree faced public scrutiny over hiring decisions while serving as Wayne County Treasurer. Shortly after receiving Wayne County Executive Warren Evans' endorsement for his election campaign, Sabree promoted Evans' then-girlfriend (later wife) Renata Seals from a $60,000 contract position to a full-time role with a $70,000 salary and benefits[1].

The controversy deepened with revelations about reciprocal hiring arrangements between county offices. Three months after Seals' promotion, Sabree's son Adam was hired as assistant corporation counsel by Evans' legal division[3]. While officials maintained the timing was coincidental, former Wayne County Auditor General Brendan Dunleavy characterized the arrangements as "stinking of nepotism and favoritism"[2].

Following media investigations by WXYZ-TV in May 2017, Seals resigned her position citing ethical concerns[1]. The incident highlighted broader concerns about patronage and hiring practices in Wayne County government[3].

[1] John Wisely, "Warren Evans' wife resigns county job amid questions," Detroit Free Press, May 23, 2017.

[2] Ross Jones, "Warren Evans' wife advances in gov't job despite no gov't experience," WXYZ Detroit, May 18, 2017.

[3] John Wisely and Kathleen Gray, "Questions arise over Wayne County hiring practices," Detroit Free Press, May 25, 2017.

Hiring and Promotion Controversies

In 2017, after receiving an endorsement from Wayne County Executive Warren Evans during his campaign for treasurer, Sabree promoted Evans' then-girlfriend (now wife) Renata Seals-Evans within his office[6]. The promotion gave her a $10,000 raise and full benefits despite having no prior government experience or college degree. Sabree admitted he "didn't consider anyone else" for the position.[6] Further questions arose about the appointment's appropriateness when investigations uncovered multiple financial judgments against Seals, including from debt collectors and apartment complexes, despite her role advising residents on tax payments and foreclosure prevention[2]. While long-time county workers went without raises for years, connected individuals like Seals-Evans received preferential treatment, promotions, and salary increases.[6]

Shortly after this promotion, Evans' administration hired Sabree's son Adam as an assistant corporation counsel at $58,000 per year. While both offices claimed this was coincidental, former Wayne County Auditor General Brendan Dunleavy characterized these arrangements as clear examples of "nepotism and favoritism."[6] These nepotism allegations in 2017 foreshadowed the larger ethical issues that would emerge in 2019 with the tax foreclosure auction scandal.

In February 2019, Eric Sabree faced significant controversy when investigations by the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News revealed that his family members had purchased tax-foreclosed properties through Wayne County's tax foreclosure auction in violation of the treasurer's office's own rules.[1][2][3]

Key findings from the investigations included:

A real estate company called U.S. Development Services, co-founded by Sabree and run by his wife, purchased multiple properties through auctions overseen by Sabree's office[1]
Sabree's wife Badriyyah accumulated approximately $58,000 in delinquent property taxes on multiple properties, which were only paid off after media inquiries[2]
Some properties owned by family members had been delinquent long enough to qualify for foreclosure but were not foreclosed upon, including a vacant west side lot that should have been sold at auction according to state law[3]
Sabree's son Adam was listed as a successful bidder in 2017 despite being banned from participating and owing delinquent taxes himself[3]
The family engaged in property flipping, including one case where Sabree's nephew bought a property for $500, sold it to Sabree's son for $1, who then sold it for $1,500[3]

When confronted, Sabree called the rules barring family participation "intrusive and unrealistic" and suggested changing them rather than enforcing compliance.[2] He claimed he wasn't personally involved in the transactions, though he was listed as a member of U.S. Development Services.[3] Wayne County Executive Warren Evans called for an ethics review of the purchases.[4]

Broader Implications

Pattern of Ethical Concerns

The pattern showed a concerning tendency to bend rules and ignore standard hiring practices to benefit family members and political allies. This context helps explain why Sabree's later dismissal of rules against family members participating in foreclosure auctions as "intrusive and unrealistic" raised such significant concerns about his judgment and commitment to ethical governance.[2][3]

The incidents demonstrate how Sabree repeatedly used his position to benefit both his own family members and those of other powerful county officials, while maintaining different standards for regular employees and residents.

[Sources need to be formatted according to Wikipedia citation guidelines]

"Warren Evans' wife advances in gov't job despite no gov't experience", WXYZ Detroit, May 18, 2017.

The scandal highlighted systemic issues with Wayne County's tax foreclosure system. Between 2005-2017, approximately 150,000 Detroit properties (one-third of all properties in the city) went through tax foreclosure.[4] Critics noted that while the treasurer's office took a hard line with struggling homeowners, different standards appeared to apply to insiders and speculators.[5]

The Detroit Free Press Editorial Board called for Sabree's resignation, arguing he had "forfeited the public trust."[2] Property data expert Jerry Paffendorf of Loveland Technologies argued that the entire office's leadership needed to be replaced and made more transparent.[5]

Deadline Detroit, February 12, 2019
Detroit Free Press Editorial Board, February 12, 2019
Detroit News investigation, February 2019
Detroit Metro Times, February 15, 2019
Detour Detroit, February 14, 2019

[1] "Update: Freep Calls on Wayne Treasurer to Quit Over 'Problematic' Real Estate Deals," Deadline Detroit, February 12, 2019. [2] "Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree forfeits the public trust," Detroit Free Press Editorial Board, February 12, 2019.