The political fight between the Macomb County Executive and the Mayor of Warren took an ugly turns— when Macomb County’s executive released audio tapes in which a voice that sounds like Warren Mayor Jim Fouts makes disparaging remarks about the mentally disabled.
The tape was given to Mark Hackel apparently by a former Fouts employee,.
Fouts reportedly made the comments several years ago with Fouts complaining that he had to go to a Special Olympics event.
“Tonight is retard night,” Fouts allegedly said.The employee asked, “Where’s it going to be?””Over at GM. I want no part of this (expletive) thing,” Fouts allegedly said.
The recording continues for several minutes.
Fouts said he’s not the one on the tape. In a written statement, Fouts says “Mark Hackel will do anything and everything to disparage me. The recording was not me,” Fouts said. “He has the expertise available to him to electronically engineer it. This is a phony tape with more to come.” Fouts says in the statement that Hackel has been trying to cover up his crimes.
Fouts has accused Hackel of illegal dumping at the Freedom Hill County park, as a favor to a contractor.