WXYZ's Ross Jones points out that some suites at Joe Louis and Comerica Park are given free to the city and county as part of a deal with the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority.
That means they belong to the taxpayers, but it's only a very select group that actually gets an invite. Jones reports that the city and county have free suites in all the downtown stadiums and arenas.
On the WXYZ website, Jones writes that Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and Mayor Duggan have used the suites to entertain.
"It’s used for business purposes, it’s used for charity events," Ficano told WXYZ. "It’s used for a number of other things that actually generate positive activity for the county." Duggan declined comment.
Jones noted that neither the city nor county keep a list of guests. So for weeks WXYZ went to take a look and see.
Jones writes:
While charities like the Boys and Girls Club have been guests in the Wayne County suite, plenty of Ficano's political allies, donors and friends have been invited, too. In the suite at Joe Louis Arena, we found Gabe Leland. He's the son of county commissioner and Ficano supporter Burton Leland and a new city council member, too.
At Comerica Park, we saw longtime Ficano friend John Oram taking in a Tigers game and chatting with the CEO. Developer Ron Boji, who's thrown a fundraiser for Ficano at his home, has used the suite too, along with democratic strategist Mark Brewer.
Jones notes that the Wayne County suite is also a "favorite spot" of Ficano’s fundraiser JoAnn Abenour.
He reports about Duggan:
Ernest Johnson’s influential Community Coalition was one of the first groups to endorse Duggan back in June. By January, he was enjoying the city’s suite. On Facebook that night he wrote, “Mayors office had it hook up.”
We spotted Deputy Mayor Ike McKinnon using the suite one night, too. He acknowledged bringing some of his friends along. Mayor Duggan's son Ed has been a guest in the suite as well.
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