Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters has taken swift action against one of her top aides, Reggie Davis, after an investigation revealed he posed as part of the incoming team at the Office of the Ombudsman, a position for which he was a finalist.
The Detroit Office of Inspector General found that Davis and former council president Charles Pugh, who is a convicted sex offender, presented themselves as members of the incoming staff during phone calls and video meetings with WingSwept, the vendor supplying software to the Ombudsman's Office. Davis had been seeking a $197,000-per-year job at the Ombudsman Office.
Waters fired Davis after reviewing an Oct. 27 report from the Detroit Office of Inspector General that concluded he "abused his position" on her staff to obtain information from WingSwept. The investigation revealed that Davis and Pugh initially believed they were part of the incoming team for the City of Detroit Office of the Ombudsman, but eventually stopped communicating once informed.
According to Waters' letter to Davis, his actions have "impugned the integrity of the Detroit City Council" and are detrimental to the public trust. The Office of Inspector General found that Davis "falsely presented himself as part of the incoming Ombudsman team and abused his position by using his title to improperly access information."
Davis had been working with Pugh, who resigned from the council in 2013 after serving time for child sex crimes, during the investigation. It's unclear why Davis worked with Pugh.
The incident has raised questions about the vetting process of City Council staff and the potential misuse of authority by some officials. The Ombudsman Office investigates complaints about Detroit city services and employee conduct.
The Detroit Office of Inspector General found that Davis and former council president Charles Pugh, who is a convicted sex offender, presented themselves as members of the incoming staff during phone calls and video meetings with WingSwept, the vendor supplying software to the Ombudsman's Office. Davis had been seeking a $197,000-per-year job at the Ombudsman Office.
Waters fired Davis after reviewing an Oct. 27 report from the Detroit Office of Inspector General that concluded he "abused his position" on her staff to obtain information from WingSwept. The investigation revealed that Davis and Pugh initially believed they were part of the incoming team for the City of Detroit Office of the Ombudsman, but eventually stopped communicating once informed.
According to Waters' letter to Davis, his actions have "impugned the integrity of the Detroit City Council" and are detrimental to the public trust. The Office of Inspector General found that Davis "falsely presented himself as part of the incoming Ombudsman team and abused his position by using his title to improperly access information."
Davis had been working with Pugh, who resigned from the council in 2013 after serving time for child sex crimes, during the investigation. It's unclear why Davis worked with Pugh.
The incident has raised questions about the vetting process of City Council staff and the potential misuse of authority by some officials. The Ombudsman Office investigates complaints about Detroit city services and employee conduct.
I'm worried that this kinda thing is gonna happen in other cities too, like how easy it is for people to just fake their way into a new job or whatever... I mean, what's the vetting process even look like if someone can just pretend to be part of an incoming team? It seems like there's gotta be better checks and balances in place... 
. What kinda vetting process lets someone fake their way in like that? 
Davis was supposed to be the big deal for Ombudsman, but turns out he was just trying to butter up his connections instead of doing real work 
. And Pugh... what's next, getting a promotion just 'cause you've got connections with some shady characters? 
Waters might have been too lenient if you ask me 
this is so shady, i mean what was going on here? Reggie Davis just wanted a big fat paycheck and he's willing to bend the rules for it... that's just not right 
. I'm glad Mary Waters stepped in and took action because someone has got to hold people in power accountable. And Charles Pugh... ugh, what's wrong with some people? 
how could Davis even work with him? The vetting process needs a major overhaul, it's clear something was missed 
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this is crazy, how did he even think it was okay to pretend to be part of the team? Interesting 
I mean, a $197k job just for lying about being part of the team? That's like, totally not worth it. And working with Pugh? Like, what's the deal with that? Was he trying to get close to someone in power or something?
I'm all about accountability in politics, right? So when you see someone like Reggie Davis trying to game the system, it's a total no-go! 
Firing him is the right move by Councilwoman Waters - she can't have her staff members using their power for personal gain. And what's up with Davis working with Pugh again? 
That just shows how messed up the vetting process must've been if he was able to sneak past it like that! 
We need more transparency and less shady dealings in politics, you feel me? 
this is just wild, i mean what's going on here?! Mary Waters is low-key a total boss for firing that dude Reggie Davis on the spot 
what's with Davis working with Pugh? was it a mistake or did he know more than he let on? 
Davis's actions are a stark reminder that power can be misused, even in institutions meant to serve the public interest. The lack of transparency and accountability in his vetting process raises serious questions about the effectiveness of City Council staff screening. It's time for more robust oversight and consequences for those who abuse their positions. 
, but seriously, this raises some major red flags about how the City Council is handling its staff.
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️. We must always remember that our actions have consequences not just for ourselves, but for those around us and the community we serve 
. It's a lesson in accountability and responsibility, and one that we can all learn from 
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this whole thing is just gross, I'm so glad Waters took action ASAP 
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come on guys, it's not like Reggie Davis was trying to pull off a heist or something... 
197k a year is pretty good money, I guess you wanna know why he worked with Pugh? Maybe 'cause they were friends from back in the day and didn't think twice about it. And honestly, who wouldn't wanna get info from WingSwept for their new job? It's not like Davis was trying to get rich off of city funds or anything... 
I mean, Reggie Davis, he was supposed to be part of a legit team at the Ombudsman Office, but he went ahead and pretended to be something he wasn't... that's just not cool. And working with Charles Pugh, who has such a dark past? It's like, what were they thinking?! 
