Last week we almost moved heaven and earth in demanding an apology from the mouthy Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson for words that ring of “interposition and nullification” about Detroit, including a press conference urging the longtime Republican leader to stop throwing filth on Detroit as he did in the New Yorker magazine.
So this week, let’s use the same zest, energy and anger to demand that George Cushingberry, the ethically challenged and scandal-ridden member of the Detroit City Council and attorney step down from his leadership position as second in command of the most talked about legislative body in the state.
If we care so much about the kind of character traits and attributes leaders of Detroit’s government should have, it is only prudent that we demand that the council strip Cushingberry of his leadership title.
A man who purports to represent the city cannot be so entangled in that many emerging legal challenges questioning his ethics as a lawyer as well as his integrity and behavior as a public servant.
It all began when Cushingberry was pulled over by Detroit Police who claimed there was alcohol in his car as well as marijuana. However, the councilman was let go after a police supervisor was called to the scene when officers realized that the man they pulled over was one of the newest members of the Detroit City Council. As expected, Cushingberry denied the allegations of alcohol and lambasted the police with the most obvious accusation: racism.
He played the race card so well to his own chagrin when he apologized to the council the next day for “driving while Black,” as if Detroiters aren’t smart enough to know when their leaders are failing them and using the race card to justify it.
In fact, he told WDIV “Flashpoint” host Devin Scillian that it was European cops who pulled him over, even though he was pulled over in Detroit, not in France, Germany or Belgium. But the subtle use of the word “European” to describe the Detroit police officers — one of whom was African American — in defending himself was a clever way for Cushingberry to play on the racial sensibilities of his majority Black constituents. It amounted to pimping the race card.
So when Scillian questioned him further on the “European” terminology he zigzagged his way through with an incomplete explanation.
Blame racism on everything even when our leaders are guilty of failing to lead by example is how Cushingberry sees things.
That racism should always be used to explain the inadequacies of those who are shortchanging their own people is detrimental to the interests of Detroiters and should not be accepted.
But the Cushingberry saga got even worse when the media — Fox 2 investigative reporter M.L. Elrick in particular — revealed how the councilman allegedly took money from clients he was representing and performed a shoddy job on their cases. One in particular is an African-American widow, Roxanne Hudson, whose husband’s classic cars Cushinberry is alleged to have sold and walked away with the money when he was legally charged with handling their estate following Larry Hudson’s death.
Roxanne Hudson is now suing Cushingberry for allegedly lying about taking care of her husband’s medical and funeral expenses.
The once boisterous Cushingberry always ready to explain himself has now refused to go on the record to admit or deny the allegations or at least explain what actually transpired.
The councilman appears to have a lot of personal issues that are now been directly linked to his profile as a member of the council. The State Attorney Discipline Board just recently reached a settlement with Cushingberry to resolve another issue from a former client who claimed the councilman took money from him without representation in a food stamp deal. The settlement that Cushingberry reached is to have his law license suspended for the next 45 days starting Feb. 18. and a $500 dollars restitution to the former client.
He needs to resign from the council leadership now and take care of his issues that are becoming a painful distraction for the council as well as a haunting image of the past council.
On “Flashpoint” I explained that despite his flaws, Cushingberry is an intelligent and brilliant lawmaker. But having Cushingberry in a leadership position despite his brilliance is an expensive bargain and risk that Detroit cannot afford based on what is coming out now about him.
Is it only a matter of time before Detroit City Council and Cushingberry learn it the hard way?
The recent accusations coming to light are bad enough and appear to present the picture of nothing but a “rip-off lawyer” by those he once represented in court.
Those who swore to uphold the oath of office and handling public money ought to have the utmost integrity, and the revelations about Cushingberry (until he comes out from hiding fully to explain) do not present the image of a public servant with integrity in his dictionary.
The voices that were demanding an apology from Patterson should equally demand that the man who is second in command of the Detroit City Council step down and take care of his deeply troubling issues before he again mounts the public stage. We can’t have a double standard in terms who gets called out for being a poor example of leadership.
I wrote a chastising column last week on Patterson’s comments, explaining the implications of his national interview.
But let’s be clear. Cushingberry’s behavior and the fact that he has been running away from the cameras, refusing to answer any of the damaging allegations, matters more to the well-being of Detroit than a neighbor like Patterson spitting on Detroit.
The city of Detroit should not again be put in a position where it can be found legally and financially liable for the actions of some of its officials as we saw played out with previous administrations.
Yes, Cushingberry should have his day in court but spare the city of any further embarrassment.
The entire council has since been conspicuously silent after claiming that this was no more than a personal issue.
Ridiculous. Calling the actions of a high profile council member personal when the actions pose serious legal and ethical challenges to the legislative body is equivalent to speaking without memory. If history is a teacher, our beloved council members should know that we’ve seen a similar movie before. And if they — as the new council — are ushering Detroit into a new political dispensation they should have no issue holding one of their own to task when scandals like the ones facing Cushingberry emerge.
Guardians of the public good should be worthy examples of trust, ethics and integrity, not persons who are swimming and wriggling in a pool of scandals. Leaders should inspire, and what we are seeing, hearing and reading about Cushingberry is anything but inspiring.
For that alone, the councilman should vacate his leadership post until he is fully vindicated in a court of law. And the city council should demonstrate leadership by calling attention to this issue rather than brush it aside as merely a personal matter.
Council member Gabe Leland, as well as president Brenda Jones, who both dismissed the matter when it came up should in the interest of Detroiters and good governance and public integrity demand that their colleague step aside from any leadership role.
When you look at his trajectory of troubles it is almost as if something is waiting to explode.
We cannot question the councilman’s loyalty and love for Detroit given his four decades.
But perhaps it is time to remind the dealmaking councilman about Charice’s lyric “Before it Explodes,” especially when Cushingberry talks about his love for Detroit and why he won’t quit.
It’s not a question of love. Cause our love has never changed. But all the little things keep piling up.
And life keeps getting in the way. The fuse is already lit, so how about a final kiss. And just let it go. And stop the madness before it explodes.
But you’re close to the edge. And what’s the use of going on, If we’re lying to each other. Every word that is said. Its too late for us now. Cause we can hear the count down. Its getting close, its gonna blow – Charice
Bankole Thompson is the editor of the Michigan Chronicle and author of “Obama and Christian Loyalty,” which deals with the politics of the religious right, black theology and the president’s faith posture with an epilogue written by former White House spokesman Robert S. Weiner. He is a political analyst at WDET-101.9FM (Detroit Public Radio) and a member of the weekly “Obama Watch” Sunday evening round table on WLIB-1190AM New York and simulcast in New Jersey and Connecticut. Email bthompson@michronicle.com or visit https://www.bankolethompson.com.
About Post Author
