Calls surface for Flint City Councilman to be removed for homophobic and racial slurs on Facebook Live videos
Calls surface for Flint City Councilman to be removed for homophobic and racial slurs on Facebook Live videos
Calls surface for Flint City Councilman to be removed for homophobic and racial slurs on Facebook Live videos
BY MIKE KILLBREATH
CCN Executive Editor
FLINT (CCN) — Residents and a political opponent are calling on a Flint official to be removed from office after making racial and homophobic slurs. Under fire is first-term Councilman Maurice Davis who is Vice President of the Flint City Council. The story made national news on a conservative online
BY MIKE KILLBREATH
CCN Executive Editor
FLINT (CCN) — Residents and a political opponent are calling on a Flint official to be removed from office after making racial and homophobic slurs. Under fire is first-term Councilman Maurice Davis who is Vice President of the Flint City Council. The story made national news on a conservative online news site known as The Daily Wire that has featured several stories about Flint in recent years.
Councilman Davis didn't comment to The Daily Wire and cut an interview short with a Flint Journal reporter for MLive in its report after the story appeared in the popular national online publication. He also didn't respond to a request for comment from The Daily Gazette which is an online newspaper in the Metro Flint area.
Community activist Arthur Woodson used his Facebook page and the public forum portion of Monday night's Flint City Council meeting to call on elected officials to censure Councilman Davis, strip him of his title as Vice President or remove him from office. A transcript of public comments blasting Woodson and 1st Ward City Councilman Eric Mays was provided anonymously to The Daily Gazette by a resident and Woodson said he has preserved the video for a possible libel lawsuit although Davis has now scrubbed his Facebook page of all old videos from his almost daily broadcasts he calls "News and Blues." Other Flint residents sent messages to The Morning Gazette Radio Show demanding his removal from office via e-mail and via Messenger.
Woodson cited an incident Monday to the council where an elected official in Ann Arbor was recently stripped of his committee assignments over using the same homophobic slur on a Facebook post. Ann Arbor City Councilman Jeff Hayner is also the target of a recall effort after he used the slur to attack journalists on social media. "You stripped Eric Mays of his position as Finance (Committee) chair for a natzi salute and you should remove Maurice Davis as Vice President of your council — just like that councilman was removed over in Ann Arbor," Woodson said to the council. "That seat is the people's seat, not his seat."
Woodson's public comments also included a swipe at Flint City Council President Kate Fields. "You had lots to say to The Daily Wire about Eric Mays, saying you wouldn't be surprised if he arranged for someone making threats to kill Councilman Davis, yet you have no comment on the homophobic slurs and racial slurs by Davis," Woodson said. "That's not right."
It was earlier this year when Councilman Davis accused Councilman Mays of being behind recent death threats against him, and made no apologies when another individual was arrested. "I had nothing to do with it," Mays said at the time. "In fact, I supported the police investigating to find out who was behind it because it was wrong to threaten a public official."
Counclman Mays made a police report in 2016 with accusations that a former council colleague (Wantwaz Davis) made a threat to kill him, but no charges were ever filed in the case. Wantwaz Davis and Maurice Davis are not related. Wantwaz Davis, who served one four-year term on the council until unseated in 2017 by Jerri Winfrey-Carter, was elected to office after serving 21 years in prison for a murder conviction at age 17.
No council action was taken against Councilman Davis for the unfounded allegations against Mays. No action was taken either on Monday night after they were urged to do so by Woodson about the homophobic and racial slurs used by Davis.
No city council members responded to a request for comment by The Daily Gazette except for Councilman Mays who said he felt "an apology was in order." The 1st Ward councilman said: "He quotes the Bible in one sentence, then shouts cuss words in the next sentence. He threatened me during a public meeting about carrying a gun, saying the beating in a bar was nothing compared to what he would do to me."
The comment was in reference to a beating Councilman Mays filed a police report about after an incident at a Flint bar last year with the city's Deputy Chief of Staff — DuVarl Murdock. The State Police asked Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton to issue a warrant against Murdock for assault, but Leyton recently decided not to file charges after several months of deliberation.
Woodson, who is running against Davis for his 2nd Ward seat in the August primary, was a target of Davis during the Facebook Live video he calls his "News and Blues" broadcast to comment on politics and routinely bash political opponents with his profanity-laced style.
Councilman Davis made national headlines during the 2020 presidential campaign when offering an endorsement for Donald Trump's re-election bid, including speaking with then Vice President Mike Pence during a campaign rally at Flint's Bishop Airport. Woodson has used the endorsement for Trump as a key part of his campaign platform, noting that more than 90 percent of the 2nd Ward residents voted against Trump.
"He's out of touch with the people of the 2nd Ward," Woodson said.
Woodson and Councilman Mays say they are not gay, but each man say the homophobic slurs used by Councilman Davis are inappropriate. Davis, who is black, also used racial slurs about his two political enemies who are also black. In addition to the homophobic slurs calling them "fa****" and racial slurs using the "N" word, he called each of them a “sissified bastard” and a “crook” while describing Councilman Mays as a “crackhead." He also described each of them as participating in homophobic sex acts while in prison.
Woodson and Mays have felony convictions. Woodson has shared details of his time in prison during interviews with The Morning Gazette Radio Show. Mays, who has talked on the same radio show about his two felony convictions related to incidents involving former girlfriends, has also served jail sentences in recent years for speaking too long at a council meeting and for impaired driving after an incident where he represented himself and won non guilty verdicts on four other charges. Mays was arrested after 2:30 am in 2017 while standing next to his disabled vehicle on the side of I-475 with three flat tires. He was also accused of possession of marijuana, driving without insurance, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and drunken driving.
Councilman Davis also angered many in the community with comments during a recent Facebook Live broadcast of his "News and Blues" broadcast when using the "N" word when blasting the Charles Stewart Mott family connections in bringing General Motors to Flint. He said, "They were the ones who brought the (bleeps) that is here in Flint, Michigan, from the south, north and everywhere else to come up here to work.” Mott was co-founder of General Motors and he established the Mott Foundation in the 1950's as a non-profit to do good works in the city. The Mott Foundation annually contributes millions of dollars to projects in the City of Flint.
Frances Gilcreast, President of the Flint branch of the NAACP, told MLive that her organization does not condone use of the "N" word. She was quoted as saying, "It is very unfortunate and saddening that the ‘N’ word, which the NAACP ‘buried’ in Detroit at our national convention on July 9, 2007, is still being used to describe anyone. We, as the NAACP, see no reason for it to be used in any manner to anyone. We take our mission very seriously, ‘To ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.’ "
While Flint City Council President Fields declined to comment, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley told MLive that he condemns “any and all words of division and hate” and was quoted as saying, "There are ongoing disturbing issues with this multi-member body that raise concerns for the community... It takes all of us to elevate to a higher calling and that’s service to the people."
Councilman Davis has often provided a tie-breaking vote in 5-4 decisions for controversial issues Mayor Neeley has pushed to the city council during his first year in office. He hasn't endorsed Councilman Davis in the upcoming primary race where he is being challenged in his re-election bid by Woodson, Audrey Young and Ladel Lewis.
Mayor Neeley has not returned telephone calls or requests for comment from The Morning Gazette Radio Show or The Daily Gazette since last May when cutting off press releases to them. He was angry over an incident where a tape recording was played on the air where he said Attorney General Dana Nessel had been told about "fake news reporting" by The Morning Gazette Radio Show about an endorsement she never made for Woodson in his state rep race against Neeley's wife. No such report ever aired, but the mayor's threatening phone call was subsequently aired for thousands of listeners on the radio show.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig to retire; Won't comment now on possible run for Governor
Calls surface for Flint City Councilman to be removed for homophobic and racial slurs on Facebook Live videos
Calls surface for Flint City Councilman to be removed for homophobic and racial slurs on Facebook Live videos
DETROIT (CCN) — Detroit Police Chief James Craig held a press conference Monday to announce that he is retiring. He would not comment now on rumors that began circulating Friday about his possible run for governor against Gretchen Whitmer in 2022. Chief Craig did confirm reports, however, that he is a Republican. Whitmer is a Deomocrat a
DETROIT (CCN) — Detroit Police Chief James Craig held a press conference Monday to announce that he is retiring. He would not comment now on rumors that began circulating Friday about his possible run for governor against Gretchen Whitmer in 2022. Chief Craig did confirm reports, however, that he is a Republican. Whitmer is a Deomocrat and so, too, is is his boss — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. The mayor told a reporter during the press conference that if Craig decides to run, he would be supporting Whitmer "because she has been a good partner for Detroit."
Liz Cheney dumped as No. 3 in Republican leadership after taking heat for not supporting Trump
Calls surface for Flint City Councilman to be removed for homophobic and racial slurs on Facebook Live videos
Liz Cheney dumped as No. 3 in Republican leadership after taking heat for not supporting Trump
WASHINGTON D.C. (VOA) — Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives ousted Congresswoman Liz Cheney Wednesday from her party leadership post over her criticism of former president Donald Trump for his claims that voter fraud cost him re-election last November.
The caucus, in a voice vote, removed the daughter of former Vice Presi
WASHINGTON D.C. (VOA) — Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives ousted Congresswoman Liz Cheney Wednesday from her party leadership post over her criticism of former president Donald Trump for his claims that voter fraud cost him re-election last November.
The caucus, in a voice vote, removed the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney from her position as chair of the House Republican Conference, the third-highest position in House Republican leadership, responsible for communicating the party’s message to the general public.
Republicans are in a slight minority in the House compared to the majority Democrats, but one key Republican, Congressman Jim Banks of Indiana, said the vote against Cheney signaled a new push to win control in the 2022 congressional elections.
“We are unified behind a single mission of winning back the majority, and it was clear from the way that the vote occurred that 99% of our members are focused on that, so it’s time to move on,” said Banks, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee.
The 54-year-old Cheney, after losing her party leadership position, told reporters, “We cannot both embrace the big lie (that Trump was cheated out of another four-year term) and embrace the Constitution. I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office” in the White House.
Trump, who has never personally conceded his loss to President Joe Biden, continues to claim he was cheated out of re-election. He left Washington hours before Biden was inaugurated January 20 and has been living at his Atlantic oceanfront mansion in Florida.
After the vote against Cheney, Trump said, “Liz Cheney is a bitter, horrible human being. She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our country.”
Cheney, the lone representative from the lightly populated western state of Wyoming, has frequently denounced Trump’s oft-repeated claims that he, and not Biden, was the legitimate winner of the November election, despite his campaign losing five dozen court challenges to overturn the final results in key states that he lost.
Cheney first drew fire within the party when she, along with nine other House Republicans, voted for Trump’s impeachment for his role in inciting the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, when hundreds of his supporters stormed the building to keep lawmakers from certifying Biden’s Electoral College victory. Five people died in the chaos that day and more than 400 people are facing criminal charges.
In a speech on the House floor Tuesday night, Cheney described Trump’s continuing efforts to delegitimize the election results as “a threat America has never seen before.”
“A former president who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol in an effort to steal the election has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him. He risks inciting further violence.”
Defending her staunch conservative record, Cheney said, “the most conservative of conservative principles is reverence for the rule of law.” She said she “will not sit back and watch in silence while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president's crusade to undermine our democracy.”
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York, who has enthusiastically endorsed Trump’s claims, likely will be elected to replace Cheney as party conference chair. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy announced his support for Stefanik during a recent interview on U.S. cable network Fox News.
Stefanik has compiled a more moderate voting record than Cheney, but unlike Cheney, has embraced Trump’s continuing role in Republican politics as he weighs whether to run again for the presidency in 2024.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the Democratic majority in the chamber, said, “Congresswoman Liz Cheney is a leader of great courage, patriotism and integrity. Today, House Republicans declared that those values are unwelcome in the Republican party."
Preakness officials to let medina spirit run on saturday
Preakness officials to allow Trainer Bob Baffert's two horses to run Saturday
BALTIMORE (CCN) — Preakness officials revealed on Tuesday that they will allow Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and two other horses trained by Bob Baffert to run this weekend.
Baffert is under fire for a drug test that revealed steroids in the blood of Medina Spirit when winning at Louisville's Churchill Downs on May 1. He is appealing the decision. The Preakness follows the Kentucky Derby by two weeks as the second jewel of the Triple Crown. The final race is the Belmont Stakes in New York three weeks after the Preakness. READ MORE
