An ethics investigation opened nine months ago into Detroit’s former Planning Director Antoine Bryant was dismissed Wednesday after a contentious hearing that left questions hanging.
A Board of Ethics investigation considered whether Bryant violated ethics policies by unilaterally executing a contract for downtown murals without City Council approval. The rogue act prompted the council to reject the contract and admonish Bryant, who left the city in December for a job with a leading architectural firm headquartered in Detroit.
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It took several months for the Board of Ethics to navigate questions about Bryant’s eligibility to face a hearing since he is no longer a city employee. Pat Cunningham, a senior associate corporation counsel selected to represent Bryant, said Wednesday’s hearing shouldn’t have happened because too much time elapsed since the investigation started.
“The statute of limitations is clear and unambiguous,” Cunningham said. “There is no way to read it in any other way other than this board is forbidden to take any action on the investigation of Mr. Bryant.”
Cunningham sparred with the Board of Ethics during Wednesday’s meeting, arguing that Bryant’s due process rights were violated because he was not present due to a family emergency. Bryant did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
The board voted to dismiss the matter after reviewing evidence collected by an independent investigator but did not cite a specific reason. Board Chair Jameel Smith recused herself from the vote, citing unnamed conflicts of interest.
Executive Director Christal Phillips said the board typically decides whether a violation of ethics rules occurred, but that did not happen in Bryant’s case.
“The matter pending before the Board was dismissed but no real determination was made,” Phillips said in an email. “The Board is waiting on the Law Department at next month’s meeting to provide clarification on tying a section of the ethics ordinance to the dismissal of a complaint.”
Detroit’s ethics ordinance provides a few possible reasons to dismiss a complaint, including a lack of jurisdiction, lack of sufficient evidence and the target of an investigation failing to cooperate.
BridgeDetroit submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for investigation documents and Law Department memos regarding Bryant’s employment status.
The City Charter prevents former public servants from joining a company that did business with Detroit within a year of leaving. It also prevents former employees from lobbying the city or being paid to work on matters they were directly concerned with while employed by Detroit.
Bryant executed a $215,000 contract with Street Art Mankind, a New York-based company that hired international artists to paint murals on downtown buildings. It was among efforts to beautify public spaces before the 2024 NFL Draft, but was criticized by local artists who missed out on the work.
The city was billed $215,000 for flights, Uber rides, hotel rooms, artist compensation and equipment. The contract was rejected by a unanimous vote of the City Council, and Street Art for Mankind has still not been paid as of this week.
Cunningham previously said Bryant was wrong to approve the contract but did nothing unethical. Cunningham said Bryant did not personally benefit from the situation.