DETROIT – Azzam Elder, the former Wayne County Deputy CEO, has hired an attorney, who is now demanding that Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and other officials retract defamatory statements against him.

Elder resigned amid the recent Wayne County severance payment controversy. 

According to WXYZ-TV, a letter from Thomas Warnicke of the Fieger Law Firm representing Elder says “we do not believe there has been full transparency from Mr. Ficano and his administration in this regard. Rather, Mr. Elder’s reputation has been unfairly attacked and wrongfully tainted.”

It is also being demanded that the county preserve all of Elder’s personnel records including emails and text messages. He has not returned to his office since the resignation. 

A lawsuit has not been filed but Warnicke said he has been retained to consider Elder’s legal rights relating to his employment and separation. 

“We’ve always been supportive of Mr. Elder and his work for the county and we have never said anything that would diminish his capacity or [that would] be defamatory to his character,” said Ficano spokeswoman Brooke Blackwell according to WXYZ. 

Elder’s personnel records are being retained due to the FBI investigation into Wayne County according to Blackwell.