Two local news stars, Detroit Free Press columnist M.L. Elrick and TV news’ Charlie LeDuff, joined Charlie Langton in the studio to discuss the corruption that seems to be overflowing in Wayne County politics. Both men have reported on Robert Ficano’s shady dealings and shared their wealth of information with Langton.  They described Ficano staffers allegedly being pressured to buy tickets to his annual galas and other fundraisers, discuss the hundreds of millions of dollars of pay-to-play campaign contributions allegedly given in exchange for outside contracts, and talk about the general sloppy governance that Ficano won’t take any blame for — including those expensive severance agreements and sweetheart deals. They ask questions like:

How does someone like Ficano raise a half a million dollars in a non-election year?

Why is so much money being given to county commissioners?

Why is Ficano’s driver making more from his pension, over $100,000, than he earned doing the job?

Listen to the roundtable below:

Elrick and LeDuff: Part 1

Elrick and LeDuff: Part 2

Elrick and LeDuff: Part 3

Elrick and LeDuff: Part 4