Monica Conyers Pleads Guity to Taking Bribes for City Contracts; Supposedly Faces Up to Three Years, But We All Know That's Not Going To Happen

Detroit City Council Pro Tem Monica Conyers pleaded guilty to a felony today in connection with the city sludge contract hauling scandal. Detroit's top federal prosecutor said no other City Council members would be charged in connection with the contract.
Conyers, 44, spoke softly in federal court as she admitted taking bribes in connection with $1.2 billion Synagro Technologies Inc. contract the Detroit City Council awarded in 2007.
Conyers changed her position from opposing to supporting the deal to cast the deciding vote.
Conyers could be facing about three years in prison under her plea agreement. Her attorney, Steve Fishman, believes federal sentencing guidelines of 30-37 months apply.
Federal prosecutors believe she would get the full five years under sentencing guidelines.

Why am I so cynical? Because her husband John Conyers just dropped his ACORN probe, stating (really) that "the powers that be" have decided against it.

"The powers that be"? Who on earth could that mean? He's chairman of his committee. Who, exactly, outranks him on this?

So John Conyers gives up his (already half-hearted) probe into Obama's pet community organizing group just as his wife is up for sentencing by prosecutors who answer to Barack Obama.

Would he be that brazen? He could. I don't know if he will be that brazen, but he could. It's certainly not beyond his Chicago Way character.

He's firing IG's investigating his allies, after all, despite the fact he co-sponsored a bill sharply limiting the president's authority to do so.

Something tells me that the prosecutors will decide, in light of Monica Conyers' long-time service to the people of Detroit (ahem), to ask for only three months of jailtime. The rest will be probation or at-home monitoring.

Thanks to AHFF Geoff.

Posted by: Ace at 03:11 PM

Comments

1 My money says we'll learn that Monica Conyers was acting as an undercover agent in order to infiltrate the nefarious sludge-hauling cartel. Not only will she not go to jail but she'll receive some sort of award; I think the Presidential Medal of Freedom would be appropriate.

Posted by: Star Witness at June 26, 2009 03:16 PM (Gfs2J)

2
This is a great story for an investigative journalist to build his career on: abuse of power, quid-pro-quo involving all three branches of the federal government, plus money and power. As fine an example of the Chicago way of government as you can imagine.

Of course, said journalist would probably be found floating face down in Lake St Clair. Because that, too, is the Chicago way.

Posted by: Brown Line at June 26, 2009 03:17 PM (VrNoa)

3 I'm not worried. This'll be all over the news.

...no seriously.

Posted by: BigWyo at June 26, 2009 03:18 PM (zNeJ0)

Who on earth could that mean?

The pimp hand of TOTUS reveals itself...

Posted by: Purple Avenger at June 26, 2009 03:23 PM (JhEpq)

5 and to think: what a charming, graceful, intelligent lady! For shame

Posted by: Frank G at June 26, 2009 03:24 PM (6GxPM)

Something tells me that the prosecutors will decide, in light of Monica Conyers' long-time service to the people of Detroit (ahem), to ask for only three months of jailtime.

I must be more cynical than you... I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't get any jail time because of all the suffering she's already had to endure.

ref the ACORN deal and the "The powers that be" OK maybe it's not related but that is one weird explanation of why he's dropping the probe.

Posted by: ADK46er at June 26, 2009 03:26 PM (uymlc)

OT But retards on the floor are still having a slap fight over C+P.

From Malkins blog:

4:05pm: Excellent exchange between chair and GOP Rep. Louis Gohmert. He asks for a physical copy of the 300-page-plus late-night amendment filed out of public view. Chair cannot tell him where one is. Rules him out of order for not making parliamentary inquiry. Chair stumped.

Barton asks chair if there is any rule requiring copy of bill being voted on to be nearby. Chair: Not that I’m aware of.

Barton asks if official copy is necessary to be at desk for final vote.

Chair says it’s at the desk. Barton says it’s not the official copy. Markey tells him to go to the cloakroom and look it up on the web.

Markey says the full bill and manager’s amendment is on the desk.

Chair rules that all the piles of paper at the desk “in effect” are an “official copy.”

WHO’S ON FIRST?

Posted by: Roadking at June 26, 2009 03:27 PM (LNkyu)

8 I'll bet she gets 30 minutes of community service, at ACORN.

Posted by: paranoid polly at June 26, 2009 03:27 PM (YLNjm)

9 It'll make the news only when she changes her party affiliation to "R"

Posted by: Iblis at June 26, 2009 03:28 PM (9221z)

10 She won't spend a day in jail.
She keeps all the bribe money and continues to receive her government salary.
My money is on her becoming one of Obama's czars before the year is out.

Posted by: ghost707 at June 26, 2009 03:32 PM (AU7w8)

Then you sharpen some pencils and clean your telephone. Then you throw your very sharp pencils into a ceiling tile.

Are you people spying on me?

Posted by: The Great Satan™ at June 26, 2009 03:49 PM (knIKF)

12 #11, sorry, wrong thread.

Posted by: The Great Satan™ at June 26, 2009 03:50 PM (knIKF)

13 Conyers clearly married up.

That said, this is the most corrupt and power-abusing administration in my memory.

And the most dishonest congress.

Posted by: Thea at June 26, 2009 03:51 PM (N0hv7)

14 Hey #2 Brown Line, not my Lake St. Claire. Try the Detroit River with a pair of cement shoes on.

Posted by: John Gault Who? at June 26, 2009 03:52 PM (lzBKU)

15 Yes #11 The Great Satan, we are all spying on you.

Mwwwaaaa, ah, ah, ah.

Posted by: John Gault Who? at June 26, 2009 03:54 PM (lzBKU)

16 Someone should open a probe into John Conyers to find out how living with BHO's hand up his ass has impacted his new responsibilities as puppet.

Posted by: Hussein the Plumber at June 26, 2009 03:55 PM (/+GDy)

So what? She took a $6,000 bribe on a $1.2 billion sludge contract. That's only 0.0005% of the cost of the contract. Negligible.

It's called advnced mathematics, people. Try it sometime.

Posted by: Poontang the Clever at June 26, 2009 03:56 PM (w41GQ)

Oh, deportation. Can't she just leave the country to escape prosecution and never come back?

Posted by: Curmudgeon at June 26, 2009 03:59 PM (ujg0T)

*yawn*

Ohhh, look! Sarah Palin's wearing the UGLIEST shade of eye shadow! What a trampy whore.

Posted by: MSM at June 26, 2009 04:07 PM (QoR4a)

20 shouldn't that statement of John's ring some bells with, what do they call those guys who comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, "journalists"?

Posted by: ed at June 26, 2009 04:09 PM (Urhve)

21 Let's hope she learns some new "tricks" while behind bard, to keep Johnny happy in the beedroom...

Posted by: Paladin at June 26, 2009 04:12 PM (ZO0u/)

I hope she dies in prison.

I know, I know...I'm still hoping, though. Natural causes or a shanking...I don't care how it happens.

Posted by: jaleach at June 26, 2009 04:24 PM (gHrZU)

23 My local paper, the Houston Chronicle, carried the Monica Conyers story for about 2 hours (ten minutes of which was in a prominent location on the website, the rest buried), and then spiked it altogether. Never even mentioned the John Conyers story.

Posted by: Texan99 at June 26, 2009 04:27 PM (VZyOx)

24 JOhn Conyers doesn't want Monica at home that much on account it may interfere with his "male visitors" ifyouknowwhatimeanandIthinkthatyoudo.

Posted by: Carin at June 26, 2009 04:27 PM (MI4/O)

25 Oh, The Won might ask for only 3 months.

The Won might also try throwing the book at her - show that they're tough on crime and corruption, and that favoritism plays no role in Holder's Justice Department.

What's Conyers gonna do? reopen an investigation that he's already walked away from and look like a chump? risk having the wife confined in a SUPERMAX facility?

Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at June 26, 2009 04:29 PM (1hM1d)

26 Conyers clearly married up.

What clued you in on that ? The barfights? Monica is, as they say in Detroit, ghetto.

Posted by: Carin at June 26, 2009 04:29 PM (MI4/O)

27 As I said, I really don't think John cares WHERE is wife is locked up.

I've got sources.

Posted by: Carin at June 26, 2009 04:30 PM (MI4/O)

28 Monica Conyers may just face prison time.

But she'll be pardoned as The Won leaves office.

Posted by: Rob Crawford at June 26, 2009 04:35 PM (n2wxa)

Monica Conyers may just face prison time.

But she'll be pardoned as The Won leaves office.

You know, for a little bitch like her, that might be enough. Webcam videos of her being attacked in prison for mouthing off would be delightful.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at June 26, 2009 04:48 PM (ujg0T)

30 My prediction, for what it's worth:

She's going to jail for 48 months, minimum. Avern Cohn, the judge, has an iron disposition. He's intellectually muscular and he doesn't cotton to bad behavior (or ill-prepared attorneys) at all. He can be brutal, in a league few judges can match. BRUTAL. I don't care what the prosecutors recommend, he's going to make up his own mind, and Mrs. Conyers' behavior isn't going to settle well with him. My impressions of him have been that he embraces public (i.e., governmental) service as a laudable ideal, so Monica's behavior will have struck at the very core of his beliefs. I suspect she won't just get sentenced; he'll have some exceptionally choice words for her at her sentencing.

Posted by: Jazz at June 26, 2009 04:52 PM (hnq5i)

31 Don't be so sure about MonCon getting off here. That corruption in the D has gotten so bad that even the citizens of the city are getting fed up says quite a bit. MonCon is generally regarded as a disgrace, even among the other members of the City Council. Given King Kwame's recent slap on the wrist and subsequent escape to a mansion in Texas (not that Detroit isn't grateful to Texans for taking him) the patience of folks in the area with corrupt politricksters is waning. This might just be the fad for the moment, wildly indignant self righteousness about "CORRUPTION", and I wouldn't be surprised if in a year it's business as usuall in Detroit once again. Still, for the time being, if she gets off, there will be ALOT of angry people.

Also, the Detroit News is saying theres video of her singing the praises of some pawn shop owner who is alleged to have given her and a few other council members a few thousand dollars worth of jewelry and fur coats and other things of that nature...

Posted by: Don_Washington_bandito at June 26, 2009 05:03 PM (37WyV)

32 "The powers that be"? Who on earth could that mean? He's chairman of his committee. Who, exactly, outranks him on this?

Obviously, you do not spend time on the insane conspiracy websites. "The powers that be," or TPTB, are those that are involved in the New World Order, or one world government. They're the ones that are wrecking our lives at the moment.

In other words, John Conyers got a call from one of the Illuminati. Or a Bilderberger.

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34 Well, given the current situation in Detroit, she may get some actual jail time. I'm betting she gets two years and is out in 9 months or so.

Anyway, Charlie LeDuff has a "Travels With Charlie" column in which he described some contacts with Monica and ended by saying that while he wants to hold her feet to the fire, as a human being he feels really, really sorry for her.

I emailed him pointing out that this sort of attitude is one of the reasons so many politicians get a pass. Here's his reply.

"Relax <Jorg>.
She's done. I hounded her. We all hounded her. And i notice no mail from you when i expose the fact that the Detroit cops are hiding murders. how bout that one. how bout some credit sometimes and a little less complaining.
Or you come do the job."
with warm regards, Charlie"

When did columnists become so thin-skinned? Before the election I emailed another Freep columnist mentioning that the MSM in general seemed to be a bit in the tank for Obama, and he carped all over the place.

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