Business owner: Detroit Mayor Duggan trying to run me out of business
DETROIT (WJBK) - A Detroit businessman says Mike Duggan is trying to run him out of business. So he took him to court in hopes that a judge would put hizzoner on the stand but he didn't quite get what he wanted, yet.
Bob Carmack owns Carmacks Collision near Michigan Ave and Lonyo. He says he's being evicted from the building where he's done business for 30 years because of how he spoke up about corruption at City Hall.
"It's a sad situation that I've got to be thrown out in the street but they're trying to do whatever they can to retaliate against me for doing what was right," he said.
Carmack wore a wire for the FBI in an effort that led to the indictment of Detroit City Councilman Gabe Leland on bribery charges.
Carmack acknowledges that there is no link between Leland and mayor mike Duggan in that case, but he still thinks city officials are out to get him.
"They're doing everything they can to try to destroy me, but I'm going to keep on fighting," Carmack said.
City officials say Carmack is a squatter and is trespassing while running his auto shop out of a building the city bought after his landlord lost it for unpaid taxes.
Lawyers for the city said he made up a conspiracy involving Duggan to help him win his lawsuits against the city.
"The mayor doesn't know anything here, be that as it may, on a simple eviction on this little piece of property," said city attorney Michael Muller.
Carmack's lawyer asked Detroit District Court Judge Donald Coleman to let him question the mayor under oath. The judge said he first wanted to see some evidence.
"You have to be able to offer that the persons whom you seek to depose or for whom you seek discovery, that they have something to add to this matter. I'm waiting to hear what they might add other than your claim that there is a massive conspiracy that needs to be brought to the fore," Coleman said.
Instead of offering evidence, Carmack's attorney, Drew Paterson, posed a philosophical question.
"What's the difference between trying to find the string that unravels the ball that covers up the corruption versus a fishing expedition?" he said.
Coleman is the second judge to deny Carmack's request to put the mayor under oath. Carmack says he'll find evidence he needs to make his case and save his business.
"I know a lot. and the situation is, once I do the deposition, I'm going to ask them questions about the knowledge that I have to prove what happened," he said.
Judge Coleman told Carmack's lawyer that if they get some heavy duty evidence of a conspiracy, he could change his mind and issue subpoenas forcing the mayor to answer questions under oath. City lawyers are confident that will never happen.