Caught On Camera Holding Hands With Assistant, Warren Mayor Says It's " ... Dirty Politics"

WARREN (AP) - The mayor of Warren is defending a $5,000 raise for a female assistant, who was caught on camera holding his hand while they walked during personal travel in Chicago.

Warren Mayor Jim Fouts says Amanda Mika got the raise in December because she took on extra responsibilities as a city employee when another employee went on sick leave.

A YouTube video shows Fouts and Mika at a Chicago hotel and holding hands in 2012. In a statement Friday, Fouts says there's no connection between the pay raise and any personal trips.

He says it "smacks of dirty politics."

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