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Ficano Talks Severance Pay: 'I Have Not Done Anything Wrong'

DETROIT (WWJ) - Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano is not taking the blame for a severance pay scandal rocking the county.

Ficano spoke before the Detroit Economic Club Tuesday, at an event led by WWJ-TV's "Michigan Matters" host Carol Cain. Watch the full event where Ficano, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, Oakland County's L. Brooks Patterson, and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel took on hot topics, at 11 a.m. Sunday on WWJ-TV.

When Ficano was asked about the scandal everyone wanted to know more about, he said: "My attitude has always been, No. 1, I have not done anything wrong. Anybody that has done anything wrong - hold them accountable - and go in and go after them.

"If there are any agencies, obviously there are, that are looking at records, and thousands of records that they  want to look at, go ahead and look at it, we've been fully cooperative," said Ficano.

Ficano was asked about a reported $300,000 severance package for his former Deputy Executive Azzam Elder, who sued after he was fired, claiming he took the fall for Ficano's misdeeds. Elder said he has a signed document guaranteeing a $300,000 severance package, though when his suit was filed a copy of the paperwork was discovered missing from his personnel file.

"That's in litigation - the lawyers always think we talk way too much to begin with - let the facts come out in litigation," added Ficano.

Ficano said it would be "speculation" to talk about why Elder's severance deal is reportedly missing from files turned over to the FBI.

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