Conyers Dinged by Wife’s Scandal

John Conyers (D-Mich.) is at the center of a brewing political storm in Detroit that involves his jail-bound wife, a predicament that some insiders think has left him more vulnerable to challenge than ever before. Late last month, former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges in connection with a city sludge-hauling scandal. After her plea, the former councilwoman’s onetime chief of staff, Sam Riddle, told a Detroit newspaper that Monica Conyers had previously helped get him a consulting job with Detroit businessman Dimitrios Papas and then proceeded to demand half of Riddle’s $20,000 fee.
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(Alex Isenstadt, “Wife’s Scandal Dinging John Conyers,” Politico, 7/06/09)