by
Manoogian Mansion
Politicians often speak about the importance of transparency for good and honest government. Yet, they sometimes tap into funds from anonymous donors, leaving citizens to wonder who might be currying favor with the elected officials.
Detroit Free Press investigative reporter Violet Ikonomova reports on Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan:
Since he moved into the mansion upon taking office in 2014, the Manoogian nonprofit has collected more than $1 million in private donations and spent at least $347,000 on modifications and enhancements to the property since 2021, according to federal tax filings. The documents do not list the sources of the contributions.
A Free Press examination of council records found no public disclosure of donors or council votes to approve the gifts since 2010. A review by the council's Legislative Policy Division concurred. Experts on good government say the secrecy could violate city ordinance and creates the appearance that unknown contributors can use the fund to curry favor with Duggan, who is now running for governor...
The Free Press confirmed at least one donation came from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The insurer said it gave the nonprofit $100,000 in 2018. That's the year before Duggan-backed auto reform legislation that affected the insurer was passed into law. In a statement to the Free Press, Blue Cross Blue Shield said the donation's purpose was to help maintain a historic city building.
It wasn’t always that way.
Ikonomova notes that newly elected Mayor Dave Bing and the city council had moved to make things more transparent, writing:
Hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of private donor gifts to revamp the city-owned mayoral home were publicly disclosed that year — all the way down to who was paying for paint and window drapes. And in accordance with an ordinance governing donations to the city, council voted to accept them.
She writes that the secrecy has returned under Duggan.
Duggan’s spokesman John Roach, in an email to the Freep, wrote:
“The improvements remain with the house for the next occupant, who will move in January 1st. There is nothing inappropriate about the ongoing commitment of the Manoogian family to raise money for the long-term upkeep of the house they generously donated to the City of Detroit.”
The Mayor’s Residence Society declined to disclose the donors but said the home had benefited from the contributions.
