Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is now under fire from local leaders, with some calling for him to resign.
They’re coming because of newly released audio recordings - allegedly of the mayor making racist and sexist remarks.
A former advisor to Fouts who says he witnessed the mayor mocking African Americans has also come forward.
Fouts denies the voice is his, but the former aid says he has heard these things from the mayor’s mouth on multiple occasions.
"I was consulting with him about his upcoming election in 2015,” says political consultant Joe Disano.
Disano spoke with us at his Lansing area home. He says for years he advised Fouts and was in on more than half a dozen meetings a year at city hall.
He says he was “not surprised at all" by the recordings.
Disano says, while he was not in the meeting in which the latest audio recording reportedly took place, he says Mayor Fouts alleged comments about African Americans were repeated in other meetings he did attend.
"I’ve heard him talk about African Americans looking like monkeys,” Disano said. “The context of the African American comments, in regards to the Detroit mayoral race, was the n-words would never elect a white guy - Mike Duggan."
He says he witnessed something else in a city hall conference room.
"He started jumping around, acting like he was a monkey, in reference to African American voters in Detroit," is how Disano describes it.
I asked if others in the room were offended.
"Some were,” he says. “I know for a fact some were. I was."
And why no one appeared to complain?
"These are all in front of at will employees," Disano explained. “These are people who’s jobs are tied directly to him. I’m able to come forward, at this point, cause there is nothing he can do to me."
Nor the former city hall employee he says released the first tape of Fouts allegedly disparaging the mentally disabled, someone Disano says he’s spoken too.
“I think the motivation was, at some point, you are far enough away from city hall – it’s time to let this stuff go," Disano said.
I’m told there is one more audio recording that hasn’t been released. It reportedly has the mayor mocking a disabled child.
Again, these are allegations. The mayor denies it is him.
In his most recent Facebook post, Fouts wrote that he will not step down:
There is tremendous effort to force me out immediately by slander, by character assassination, lies, and by out right condemnation of me. This is an attempt to reverse the 2015 election results when I won with 85% of the vote. I won with 81% in 2011. This is despite solid evidence that I did nothing wrong whatsoever. My actions as Mayor have been inclusive and no one can deny that. We are the best run city in the state when it comes to police, fire, and fund balance. I will not resign. I will be here through at least 2019 as the people wanted me to. I will not capitulate to a rush to judgement by those who wish to take over city hall and hijack the 2015 election. Why? - Because I have changed things for the better in the city. I serve the citizens 24/7 and they know it. I'm not answerable to any politician I'm only answerable to the people of Warren. I serve the interests of the people of Warren not the politicians. I will continue to push for diversity in employment in Warren and that is why I hired Greg Murray as Diversity Coordinator.
