Ethics board fights ‘suppression’ of legal guidance

February 25, 2026

Detroit's Board of Ethics is demanding access to confidential legal memos that examine whether the board can hire its own independent attorney rather than relying on lawyers from the city's Law Department. The board's Executive Director argues that withholding these documents prevents the ethics board from functioning independently and making informed decisions about obtaining separate legal representation. Board members are concerned that using city-assigned attorneys creates conflicts of interest when they investigate mayoral administration officials.

Who is affected

Detroit Board of Ethics (board members and staff)
Board of Ethics Executive Director Christal Philips
Detroit City Council
Council member Miller (Internal Operations Committee member)
Detroit Law Department
Detroit City Council's Legislative Policy Division
Members of the mayoral administration (potential subjects of ethics investigations)

What action is being taken

The Board of Ethics is pressing for release of the legal memos
Executive Director Christal Philips is asking City Council to vote to release the memos
The documents are being suppressed/withheld from the Board of Ethics
The board is being prevented from seeing the memos and attending closed sessions

Why it matters

This situation affects the Board of Ethics' ability to operate independently and fulfill its oversight responsibilities. Without independent legal counsel, the board faces potential conflicts of interest when investigating members of the mayoral administration, since they must rely on attorneys from the very city government they are supposed to oversee. The withholding of legal analysis prevents the board from making fully informed decisions about how to secure independent representation, which undermines transparency and genuine oversight capabilities within Detroit's government.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com