Councilman Gabe Leland
For the second time in four months, a Detroit businessman has accused Detroit City Councilman Gabe Leland of seeking bribes in exchange for political favors.
Scott Bridgewater, owner of the now-shuttered Center Park Bar in downtown Detroit's Harmonie Park, tells Fox 2's M.L. Elrick that Leland demanded free drinks, food and perks totaling more than $5,000 for him and friends. In return, Leland was supposed to get officials off his back for noise violations and other problems.
On Monday, Bridgewater sued Leland, accusing the councilman of extortion.
In March, Bob Carmack, who owns an auto repair shop on West Michigan Avenue, sued Leland, accusing him of demanding $15,000 cash to help with his re-election campaign in exchange for Leland helping him with a property dispute. Carmack says in his lawsuit that he wore a wire for the FBI. It's unclear if federal investigators are pursuing the matter.
Leland's attorney Steve Fishman denies his client has done anything wrong, Fox 2 reports.
This is not the first lawsuit filed by Bridgewater, according to Katrease Stafford of the Detroit Free Press, who reports:
The new filing is the latest twist in a lengthy legal battle that began in November 2016 when the co-owners of the former Centre Park Bar, 1407 Randolph, first filed a lawsuit against Mayor Mike Duggan and other city officials.
The original suit, which is still winding through the court system, claimed police harassment and alleged Dennis Archer Jr., former Mayor Dennis Archer's son, received favorable treatment while buying the building the bar occupied. The Monday lawsuit also names Detroit Police Officer Robert Harris and Detroit Fire Department Captain Calvin Harris.
These aren't the only times questions have been raised about Leland.
For a while, he was dating Jennifer Fiore, daughter of crooked businessman and towing king Gasper Fiore, who pleaded guilty to bribing a Macomb County official. Jennifer Fiore is a lawyer and executive in some of the Fiore family's companies.
While dating, Leland voted for at least four contract extensions or amendments for Fiore family companies worth $2 million, according to a Fox 2 report. Gasper Fiore has companies that the city paid to remove snow from city streets, tow cars and lease property to the Detroit Police Department.
Then in December news surfaced that his name was in a federal wiretap document containing a list of “target subjects” in a public corruption probe.
