Former political aide believes it is Warren mayor on offensive recordings

WARREN, Mich. (WJBK) - FOX 2 came out to the home of Warren Mayor Jim Fouts to give him a chance to respond to the latest allegations.

Since our report about this leaked audio first aired, multiple people who know Fouts personally say not only is that his voice but they've heard him talk like that many time before.

"I listened to the tape and it's sickening," said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. "If Mayor Fouts said those things, then he needs to go."

Strong reactions after allegations of hateful talk from Warren Mayor Jim Fouts are released to a news outlet, the Motor City Muckraker site. It was an audio recording that the mayor denies is him.

Among the recorded comments:

"I remember this one kid in my class I told you some years ago. he said we have a party store. He says my dad had rules. I said what are they? Only two n****** at a time."

"You know blacks do look like chimpanzees. I was watching this black woman with her daughter and they look like two chimps."

Rev. W.J. Rideout III confronted Fouts earlier on Monday after a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event in Warren.

"Do you consider us black chimps? The blood of Martin Luther King is on your hands."

Fouts responded, "Nope, that is an engineered tape."

"We're facing racism all over America and now this," said Rideout. "He looks like one foot in the grave while he is talking about other people."

But some, after hearing the audio felt compelled to come forward to FOX 2

"There is no doubt in my mind that they were unedited," Joe DiSano said. "Because I heard the story about the party store and heard him refer to African-Americans as chimpanzees in the past."

Joe DiSano used to be a political consultant for Fouts but walked away three years ago after he says he heard hateful rhetoric on a consistent basis.

"He pantomimed like he was a monkey in reference to two African-American voters."

FOX 2 was at Warren's City Hall during a Martin Luther King Jr. event where Amy Lange confronted him about the second round of hateful speech tapes released.

The first came around Christmas allegedly the mayor putting down the disabled people of Warren.

FOX 2: "You are still denying the old tape and now these."

FOUTS: "That's not me at all."

In addition to racist remarks. the audio includes attacks on older women.

Think I want to "expletive" date a 60 year old hag? (Expletive that expletive). I'm not interested in any old ugly hag. I think after a certain age they're all dried up, washed up, burned down."

"They expletive when they're young and when they get old they're just mean, hateful, dried up old expletive."

Mayor Fouts used Dr. King's own word in response to the allegations.

"I like the phrase we shall overcome; I will overcome all these phony tapes."

"These are insights into a man's soul and what he really believes," DiSano said. "That's why the people of Warren should be asking for his resignation."

Fouts wrote a response to the leaked audio alleged to be him, on his Facebook page.

"Just attended what should have been a joyous occasion for our 4th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony. Instead Mark Hackel and friends attempted to hijack this ceremony by releasing more vile, vitriolic, phony tapes against me. This was timed so that they came out just before our noon ceremony.

This distracted from my major announcement of the appointment of Greg Murray to be the new diversity coordinator. His first effort will be toward helping our special needs population regarding accessibility, employment and understanding. Transportation will also be a focus. And I have a stated goal of including the rights of the special needs community into the U.S. Civil Rights Act. They deserve to have their rights protected by federal legislation, that way the special needs individuals can achieve the status that all Americans have, which is full protection of all their rights!

This effort at negative tapes is designed to distract from my efforts of inclusion for all. The media as usual bombarded me with questions all at once and allowed an agitator to shout over me! This tactic dishonors the memory of Martin Luther King a man of peace.

Just as a reminder I made great efforts at inclusion including:

1) Appointment of the first African American Dept. head.

2) Appointment of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth African American members to the Planning Commission.

3) Jocelyn Howard my appointment is currently the chairperson of the Planning Commission. She is an African American.

4) Currently a majority of the Planning Commission are non-white. This includes a Moslem that I appointed.

5) I appointed the first African American Fire Commissioner and I believe the only African American Fire Commissioner in Macomb County.

6) I sponsored an annual Dr. Martin Luther Day ceremony at Warren City Hall.

7) I also sponsored having a large photo of Martin Luther King at the entrance of the Civic Center Library.

8) Today I appointed Greg Murray to be the first diversity coordinator in Macomb County and Warren. He is also African-American.

9) I changed the image from "Fortress Warren" promoted by the previous administration to a more inclusive Warren.

10) We also have more employees at city hall that are African-American.

11) I came up with the idea of diversity coordinator last summer with the idea of having a more diverse workforce in Warren.

Finally just like the previous tape this is a phony manufactured tape to distract from my outstanding record as Mayor.

Not only was I stampeded on by the media but they also trampled on the musical instruments of the Renaissance High School Quintet and may have done some damage. This was a media stampede trampling over musical instruments! Shame on them and shame on Mark Hackel for this transparent attempt at character assassination."