

Ramon Jackson and Joanna Underwood

(Photo: Violet Ikonomova)

The push to recall Detroit City Councilmember Gabe Leland — under federal indictment for allegedly taking a bribe — has begun.

District 7 activist Ramon Jackson submitted a petition to the Wayne County Clerk's office Thursday, seeking approval to collect signatures to put the decision before voters.

"We need proper representation in that seat, this isn't just about the federal probe," said Jackson. "He should have been recalled and out of there even before he got indicted ... he's being doing wrong ever since he got in there "

Jackson described Leland as failing to adequately serve the west-side district — where area median income hovers around $15,000 — and instead pandering to downtown developers and corporate interests.

Deadline Detroit first reported on the impending recall effort in a profile of Leland published Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors allege Leland took a $7,500 bribe from Detroit business owner and government agitator Bob Carmack in exchange for promising him a favor. A separate federal lawsuit alleges Leland extorted the former owner of the now-closed Centre Park Bar of thousands of dollars in food and booze.

Leland has also voted to approve more than $2 million in city contracts with companies affiliated with his former girlfriend, Jennifer Fiore, the daughter of Gasper Fiore, who was convicted of bribery a year ago. Leland did not disclose their relationship prior to his votes. When he learned the Fiore family’s towing operation was under federal investigation, he met with Police Chief James Craig to pump him for information, making Craig so uncomfortable he told The Detroit News he “contacted the FBI as soon as [Leland] left the room.”

Leland has thus far refused to step down, positioning his sticking around as a favor to the people in his district.

At an October council meeting, he told now-Detroit Charter Commission member Joanna Underwood that “residents in District 7 . . . deserve representation.” In the event of a resignation, the remaining council members would appoint a replacement.

The clerk's office has to approve the language of the recall petition before signatures can be gathered to trigger a special election. Jackson says his goal is to get at least 2,000 people to sign — or more than 25 percent of the number of votes Leland collected when he was re-elected to his council seat for a second term in 2017. Leland will be able to challenge the effort.