Detroit Councilman discussed FBI investigation

DETROIT (AP) - Federal authorities met last week with at least one member of the Detroit City Council over possible wrongdoing in a $47 million sludge recycling contract approved last fall. Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. said Monday that he met for about 90 minutes on Wednesday with the FBI. Cockrel said he has not been involved in any wrongdoing and is not the target of any investigation. He did confirm that his chief of staff, John Clark, resigned last week, but could not say if the resignation was due to a federal probe. The federal investigation relates to the city's sludge recycling contract with Houston-based Synagro Technologies Inc. that the City Council approved in November by a 5-4 vote despite protests from residents. It was not clear to him where federal authorities were in their investigation, Cockrel told... [read full story]