Inspector General Ellen Ha had 'rough start' but stood ground to 'reveal the facts'

Detroit's chief investigator is leaving the city.

Inspector General Ellen Ha, who served as Detroit's watchdog for fraud, corruption and abuse among city employees and contractors seeking to do business with the city, is reaching the end of her six-year term this month. Ha will move on to a role as chief assistant corporation counsel for Wayne County in the municipal division.

Ha issued her final quarterly report last month, sharing a long list of accomplishments during her tenure, including debarments, suspensions, hearings, expanding the office and more. In a four-page letter of Ha's final words, the inspector general recalled the beginning of her term, when she had a "rough start" initiating an investigation into a "high-ranking city official."

Ha did not specify the investigation. However, early in her term, she investigated and concluded that Mayor Mike Duggan gave preferential treatment to the prenatal health program, Make Your Date, and that his chief of staff ordered emails regarding the program to be deleted. Make Your Date is a program run by his wife, Dr. Sonia Hassan, to whom he was not married at the time.

Ha said many questioned her ability to conduct an unbiased investigation, including a "city leader" who asked whether she would outsource it to a third party.

"I was disappointed to learn later that some people also misunderstood my intentions and believed that I was initiating the investigation to find fame in the public limelight. There was no win for me. In truth, personally, I had everything to lose and nothing to gain. But, for the city, this was a crucial moment. If done correctly, the city can win back the public’s trust and continue to preserve its integrity. So, I made my choice," Ha said.

Ha was part of a public dispute with ex-Corporation Counsel Lawrence Garcia amid the Make Your Date investigation, when she accused city attorneys of impeding investigations. Duggan defended Garcia, saying he provided appropriate legal representation to city workers.

"Perhaps the most unfortunate part of my term was when the dispute with my former bosses at the Law Department became public. I’ve often replayed the incidents in my head and each time, I came to the same conclusion — the collision in public was unavoidable under the circumstances. The dispute was genuine and seemed irreconcilable. In the end, this bridge, which I had so carefully built over the years, was also burnt in an instant amidst our heated debates," Ha said.

'Oftentimes, truth did not make the city look good'

Detroit's Office of Inspector General was created in 2012 to prevent corruption following corrupt conduct during ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration.

She said she continued to face additional challenges in handling "controversial" investigations of contractors who committed crimes against the city.

"I would be remiss if I did not admit that, at times, I began questioning the prospect of my own personal future and my own comfort level outside the office," Ha said. "I learned that, as the inspector general, what is in the best interest of the public was not about how the city looked or protecting the city from potential liability. The public interest for the inspector general is to tell the truth and preserve the integrity of the city."

Ha continued: "However, oftentimes, truth did not make the city look good. And, at times, demonstrating our ability to be honest meant that our investigations and audits could ultimately expose city to legal and financial liability. This was personally difficult for me, as prior to holding the position of inspector general, most of my life was spent defending the city from liability. This, also, was difficult for my former colleagues at the Law Department to understand and accept."

She went on to share a few proud moments during her term, including her office's investigations and audits sparking changes in city policies, and criminal charges against those who were defrauding the city.

Successes and praise

"We also worked with the prosecutors to seek restitution payments. One resulted in over $4.7 million in restitution and the city has already received $1.25 million. Another resulted in a letter of apology to a city agency. We’ve also secured a stop payment order from the court, after learning the payments were wrongfully made to a person who was not entitled to any payment from the city," Ha said.

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The inspector general handled numerous contractor debarment cases and investigations, including: banning Kilpatrick's friend Bobby Ferguson; various environmental companies; temporarily suspending a demolition company for questionable business conduct and, months later, concluding that the company was eligible to continue work; suspending a contractor for fraudulently billing the city for dirt, then later banning the company and owner, among several more cases.

Ha wrapped up her letter with praises to her staff for holding each other, including herself, accountable, and thanking everyone.

"My job was never to make anything look good, but to show things as they were and if necessary, provide the impetus to change for the better. It was never about showcasing the positive or giving accolades to those who have given so much to the city. My job was to reveal the facts, even when the facts painted a negative image of our beloved city," Ha said.

Detroit City Council on Tuesday voted to appoint her deputy, Kamau Marable, as the city's inspector general. Council has yet to submit an appointment letter to the city clerk in order to complete the inspector general's oath of office, according to the clerk's office.

Ha called Marable a "true public servant" in her departure letter.

"As a representative of the city, in his capacity as the Inspector General, he will fight the fight and run the distance to bring Detroit’s gold medal. Like the Olympians, he has been training for this moment and is now ready for the challenge. I am confident that he will give his best in making all Detroiters proud of the city that he so loves," Ha said.

Read the full letter here.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.