Court rules Turkia Mullin not owed lifetime benefits

Mullin has option to appeal ruling

DETROIT – Turkia Mullin's luxury, platinum perks package sparked public outrage and was the beginning of the end of Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano's political career, but Friday the Michigan Court of Appeals said she is not owed lifetime medical benefits courtesy of Wayne County taxpayers.

Mullin was once a top Ficano appointee and was later promoted to CEO of Detroit Metropolitan Airport. When the public learned that Mullin received $200,000 and perks like lifetime health care for simply taking a better job, there was widespread public outrage.

She ended up losing her job at the airport as a result, and since then she's been involved in lawsuit after lawsuit.

Here's the scorecard: Mullin paid back the $200,000 severance, she sued and won more than $800,000 for wrongful termination from the airport, and now the Michigan Court of Appeals rules she's not eligible for lifetime health care from the county. That decision is all about timing, as is Mullin's. Had she stayed on the job just several days more she would have been eligible.

Mullin does have the option of appealing the ruling to the Michigan Supreme Court. Hers was not the only platinum perks package in the Ficano administration, but it was the first to to go public and blow the lid off the practice.


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