Hamtramck council hires Miller Johnson to investigate allegations involving city manager and police chief

The Hamtramck City Council voted June 10 to hire the law firm Miller Johnson to conduct a local, independent investigation into allegations involving former city manager Max Garbarino, an investigator identified in public comments as “David,” and Police Chief Tahiri.

Mayor Amir Galip said the council and city attorney reviewed multiple firms and selected Miller Johnson because the mayor and staff found no conflicts of interest. “They were the most professional and … there are no conflicts with regards to this firm,” Galip said. He told the council the firm would be empowered to “investigate it thoroughly and then report back.”

The contract was described by staff as hourly work with a $10,000 placement up front. A staff presentation said the city manager’s prior authority had already allowed approval of up to $10,000; the council vote extended and approved the firm to proceed beyond that amount if needed.

Councilman Hassan voiced support for the hire, saying the council had done due diligence in vetting firms and that he supported moving forward. “We have full trust on you guys, and I’m supporting that,” Hassan said during the meeting.

Several members of the public urged scrutiny and clarity. Speaker Abraham Elzaian asked the council to require deletion of certain investigations and communications he called fraudulent and said he had been directly affected. “We want the police department to delete every single investigation he was part of in the city of Hamtramck because they’re fraud,” Elzaian said during public comment. Another longtime resident, Bill Meyer, commended the mayor and council for the action and urged caution on legal costs.

Council members said the outside firm will collect allegations, perform interviews, and deliver a report to the council; any personnel actions would follow after the council reviews the firm’s findings. The mayor said the council will “wait for the outcomes and see.”