Update  June 30, 2009 – In a different twist on the “We Are Family” theme, Monica Conyers was a city councilwoman from Detroit.  I used the term “was” since she had to resign after pleading guilty to accepting a bribe from a contractor in return for her vote to award a lucrative contract to the firm. 

The family twist is that Monica Conyers is the wife of Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) and reportedly owes her election to the fact that she is married to a powerful Democrat congressman.  The fact that Mr. Conyers is also the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee adds a little irony to the story.  Mrs. Conyers is facing up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.  The key phrase is “up to” as I would be lying if I thought that she would get anything but community service.

What is up in Detroit?  First former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pleads guily to a crime, does no jail time, and ends up living in a $1 million dollar house.  In his defense, it is a rental, but it is a rental that 95% of law-abiding Americans could not afford. 

I would expect Mr. Conyers to support the maximum penalty for defrauding the public by accepting bribes.  He has been a very outspoken critic of alleged crimes by the former Bush Administration and has promised full investigations into allegations of the “Imperial Presidency.”  He may have to rethink that moniker for President Bush as Obama may have already registered the domain name for himself. 

Conyers’ case against Bush at this point these are just allegations while his wife’s infractions admittedly took place.  You can read the full 487 page report released by Mr. Conyers (wonder what that cost the taxpayers).  I am not holding my breath that Mr. Conyers will have anything but support for his wife.

Read my orignal post here.