DETROIT – Detroit mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield is facing criticism over accepting free concert tickets from Comerica Bank to a recent Jeezy performance at the Fox Theatre, raising questions about potential ethics violations.
Sheffield’s opponent in the mayoral race, Solomon Kinloch Jr., condemned the acceptance of the tickets, connecting it to Detroit’s history of corruption.
“Detroiters still carry the scars of systemic corruption,” said Kinloch. “That culture of corruption bankrupted our city and destroyed public trust.”
The Sheffield campaign defended the candidate’s actions, stating no ethics rules were violated.
Sheffield campaign spokesperson Brittni Brown cited specific provisions of the city’s ethics ordinance, explaining that “Section 2-106.4 of the ethics ordinance specifically prohibits a public servant from accepting gifts, gratuities, or honoraria from any entity or person seeking official action from the city of Detroit.”
Brown added, “This is not applicable with respect to Comerica Bank because they are not a business partner with the city of Detroit.”
Comerica Bank spokesperson Matt Barnhart said, “Due to customer privacy, we cannot share details related to this event.”
The concert took place on Friday, Sept. 12.
During the performance, Jeezy acknowledged Sheffield’s campaign from the stage, a moment that was later shared on Sheffield’s Instagram page.
The Detroit Board of Ethics, which oversees ethics investigations and provides training for public officials, plans to review this matter at its next meeting on Oct. 15, Executive Director Christal Phillips said.
Meanwhile, Sheffield’s campaign continues to gather support.
City council member Fred Durhal III, a former mayoral candidate, endorsed Sheffield Monday (Sept. 22) at a campaign event on Detroit’s west side.
When asked about the ethics allegations, Durhal said he hadn’t researched them. But he emphasized the importance of ethics training.
“Ethics are important. We go through our ethical classes with the Board of Ethics and training,” Durhal said.