With less than two weeks remaining in the Detroit mayoral campaign, candidate Mike Duggan has released a video that attempts to link his rival, Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, with the debacle of the new Wayne County Jail.

Construction has been halted on the new jail, with at least $140 million in cost overruns, and the project likely will be scrapped, turning it into one of the biggest public works disasters in memory. A one-person grand jury has launched an investigation into possible criminal activity.

While the sheriff is responsible for running the county's jails, Napoleon has said for months  he had no role in planning or overseeing construction of the new facility, and the new video does not appear to produce any detailed new evidence.

"Again, this shows that Mr. Duggan will say and do anything to get elected, and assumes that Detroiters are unable to read a newspaper," Napoleon said in a statement that was released after the jail-attack video was posted on YouTube Thursday afternoon. 

The video proclaims "Benny Napoleon continues to insist he was never a part of the construction of the new Wayne County Jail."

With a score of mournful piano music in the background, the video shows Napoleon, at a recent mayoral debate, responding to a question about his role and responsibility for the jail.

"Zero. Zip. Nada," he says.

The video asserts that in 2011, Napoleon was "a full partner with his former boss, County Executive Bob Ficano, in securing approval for the new jail."

Appearing on the screen is a tweet from Napoleon, in which he extols working with Ficano, who has been widely criticized for the cost overruns on the jail. "Proud of collaborative effort with Wayne County Exec Robert Ficano," it says.

The video shows Napoleon wielding a shovel at the ground-breaking ceremony, standing next to Ficano, 

"In just a few years, my vision for a new jail will become a reality," Napoleon is shown saying in the video. "It will make the incarceration process more effective for our 43 cities, eliminate duplicate costs, and increase safety to the public and staff."

Napoleon added: The jail is projected to save at least 20 million taxpayer dollars annually."

The video closes with a reminder that the jail has cost $140 million and construction has been halted.

"Thanks, Benny," it concludes.

In a statement, Napoleon said:

"Of course, the concept of building a new jail and justice center was a good solution to consolidate services currently duplicated in three separate facilities today, but ONLY if done correctly. I believe it has been well documented that I was shut out of the process when the county executive proposed and planned the new jail project. It has also been well documented that the condition of the existing jail is so poor that the FBI and U.S. Marshall recently moved its inmates from that facility. So, absolutely, I supported the construction of a new facility.

"By law, only the Wayne County Executive and the Wayne County Commission has the authority to build facilities on behalf of Wayne County. My role was simply to operate the jail once built. And if Mr. Duggan doesn't know that after spending 14 years as deputy county executive under Ed McNamara, then surely he couldn't be the turnaround man that he suggests.

Also on Thursday, Napoleon received an endorsement from U.S. Rep. John Conyers, the Detroit Democrat. 

The election is Nov. 5.