Mayor Mike Duggan and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
Before Dr. Abdul El-Sayed began his campaign for governor, he worked for Mayor Mike Duggan running the city's health department. So when he left, he hoped to get Duggan's endorsement. Instead, the mayor threw his support behind candidate Gretchen Whitmer.
Now, as Joel Kurth of Bridge Magazine puts it, the relationship is so strained that El-Sayed is publicly accusing Duggan of “poisoning kids.” And Duggan says El-Sayed is “irresponsibly” engaging in revisionist history and misrepresenting his 18-month tenure in City Hall.
On Wednesday, El-Sayed said on Michigan Radio that Duggan ignored his warnings to mitigate the health risks of city housing demolitions and water shutoffs. Studies show a link between elevated blood lead levels among Detroit children and increased housing demolitions.
“He didn’t want to pay attention to the fact that Detroit’s demolitions program is poisoning kids with lead up until this year,” El-Sayed told Michigan Radio.
Duggan disagrees, and questions El-Sayed’s motives, delivering a zinger. “It's clear Abdul has completed his transition from man of science to politician because he's willing to say anything to get himself elected,” mayoral spokesman John Roach tells Bridge.
This week, the mayor’s office released a batch of emails during El-Sayed’s tenure about the demolitions, which the Duggan administration claims refutes the doctor’s assertions, Kurth reports.
El-Sayed's aides disagree.
“The fact that the city has only implemented a fraction of the task force’s recommendations speaks to the city’s reluctance to take this issue on,” El-Sayed spokesman Adam Joseph told Bridge earlier.
