Kwame Kilpatrick

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Kwame Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 1, 2002
Preceded by	Dennis Archer
Born	June 6, 1970 (1970-06-06) (age 38) Detroit, Michigan
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Carlita Kilpatrick
Residence	Manoogian Mansion
Alma mater	FAMU
Profession	Politician, Attorney
Religion	Christian[1]
Website	City of Detroit Official Website--Office of the Mayor

Kwame Malik Kilpatrick, (born June 6, 1970) is the mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Elected at the age of 31, he is the youngest mayor in the history of Detroit, as well as the third youngest current mayor of any major U.S. city (after Luke Ravenstahl of Pittsburgh and Adrian Fenty of Washington, D.C.). He is also the only mayor in the history of Detroit and the only current mayor of any major U.S. city to be charged with a felony while in office. Kilpatrick briefly addressed the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He is currently Vice President of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors and its representative to the Democratic National Committee.

Kilpatrick served as the leader of the Democratic Caucus when elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives, making him the first African American to hold a leadership position in the Michigan Legislature.

The mayoral terms of Kilpatrick have been plagued with controversies which have included allegations of marital infidelity, conspiracy, and perjury. On March 24, 2008, Kilpatrick was charged with 8 felony counts, including perjury, misconduct in office, and obstruction of justice. If found guilty of felony perjury, Kilpatrick could be disbarred and jailed for up to 15 years per count; he could face additional sentences for obstruction of justice and conspiracy. He would also lose his mayoralty, if convicted. The controversies have prompted a call for his resignation, an ethics probe, and a recall election campaign to have Kilpatrick removed from office.

On May 13, 2008, the Detroit City Council voted 5-4 to begin the impeachment process and approved another resolution to request that Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm eject the mayor in case the impeachment failed. This comes after Granholm refused to interfere in the matter after the Detroit State of the City address.

Contents 1 Personal life 2 Political career and controversies 2.1 Michigan State Representative 2.2 Mayor of Detroit 2.2.1 First term 2.2.2 Special Administratorship Ends 2.2.3 2005 re-election campaign 2.2.4 Second term 2.2.4.1 Audit reports 2.2.4.2 2008 State of the City Address and reaction 3 Controversies 3.1 Allegations of mayoral misbehavior 3.1.1 Manoogian Mansion party 3.1.2 The murder of Tamara Greene 3.1.3 Whistleblower trial 3.1.4 Text-messaging scandal 3.1.5 Criminal charges 3.2 Red Lincoln Navigator 3.3 Civic fund 3.4 Slander suit 3.5 Recall campaign 3.6 Funneling of State Grant Money to Wife 3.7 Washington D.C. Police Denies Kilpatrick After-Hours Courtesy Protection 3.8 Preferential hiring of friends and family 4 Electoral history 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Personal life

Kilpatrick grew up in Detroit and attended Pelham Middle School and Cass Technical High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science in political science and a teaching certificate from Florida A&M University where he was captain of the football team and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.^[2][3] He holds a Juris Doctor from the Michigan State University College of Law, but has never practiced law.^[4]

Kilpatrick taught at Detroit's Marcus Garvey Academy as one way of helping under-privileged children. He started the school's first basketball team and Boy Scouts troop.^[5]

His mother, Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, represents Michigan's 13th District in the United States House of Representatives, and serves as the Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus in the 110th United States Congress. Kilpatrick's father, Bernard Kilpatrick, served as Chief of Staff to former - Wayne County Executive Edward H. McNamara.^[6]

On March 24, 2008 Kilpatrick was charged by Wayne County District Attorney Kym Worthy with perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office, twelve felony charges in which he faces up to eighty-five years in prison if convicted.^[7][8]

[edit] Political career and controversies

See also: A Timeline of Kwame Kilpatrick's Political Career

[edit] Michigan State Representative

Kilpatrick was elected in 1996 to the Michigan House of Representatives after his mother, Carolyn Kilpatrick vacated the seat to campaign for a position in the United States Congress.^[9]

His campaign staff consisted of high school classmates, Christine Beatty ,who became his legislative aide and later his chief of staff, and Derrick Miller. The campaign was run on a budget of $10,000 and did not receive endorsements from trade unions, congressional districts, or the Democratic establishment.^[9]

Kilpatrick was elected Democratic floor leader and later, House Democratic Leader, making him the first African American to lead a Michigan Legislature.^[5]

[edit] Mayor of Detroit

Kilpatrick became the youngest mayor of Detroit when elected in 2001.^[5]

[edit] First term

In his 2002 inaugural address, Kilpatrick said:

“

I stand before you as a son of the city of Detroit and all that it represents. I was born here in the city of Detroit, I was raised here in the city of Detroit, I went to these Detroit Public Schools. I understand this city. ... This position is personal to me. It's much more than just politics.[5]

”

He was criticized for using city funds to lease a car for use by his family and using his city issued credit card to charge thousands of dollars worth of spa massages, extravagant dining, and expensive Moët et Chandon champagne. Kilpatrick would later pay back $9000 of the $210,000 credit card charges.^[5]

By April 2005, Kilpatrick's approval rating in Detroit was sharply declining due to the scandals and a perceived lack of improvement in the city. As a result, the April 17, 2005 issue of Time Magazine listed him as one of the three worst big-city mayors in the United States,^[10][11] along with Dick Murphy of San Diego and John F. Street of Philadelphia.

[edit] Special Administratorship Ends

When serious questions about water department contracts came to light in late 2005 Judge Feikens ended Mayor Kilpatrick’s special administratorship. In January, 2006, the Detroit News reported that,

"… Kilpatrick used his special administrator authority to bypass the water board and City Council on three controversial contracts:

• A $131 million radio system that will be used mostly by Detroit police and fire departments.

• A $21.3 million security upgrade performed by a company tied to the mayor's friend, Bobby Ferguson.

• A $38,000 no-bid public relations contract awarded to Bob Berg, the spokesman for Kilpatrick's re-election campaign. “^[12]

[edit] 2005 re-election campaign

In May 2005, the Detroit Free Press reported that over the first 33 months of his term, Kilpatrick had charged over $210,000 on his city-issued credit card for travel, meals, and entertainment.^[13]

At a May 2005 campaign rally, Kilpatrick's father, Bernard "Killer" Kilpatrick, made controversial statements equating recent media reports about his son to Nazi propaganda that led to the death of 6 million Jews in Europe. He later apologized.^[14]

In October 2005, a third-party group supporting Kilpatrick named The Citizens for Honest Government caused controversy with an advertisement which compared media criticism of him to lynch mobs.^[15]

Kilpatrick and his opponent Freman Hendrix, both Democrats, initially claimed victory but as the votes were tallied, it became clear that Kilpatrick had come back from his stretch of unpopularity to win a second term in office. Only three months prior to that, most commentators declared his political career over after he was the first Detroit incumbent mayor to come in second in a primary. Pre-election opinion polls predicted a win for Hendrix; however, Kilpatrick won with 53 percent of the vote.^[16][17] A conspiracy theory that the election was rigged in Kilpatrick's favor remains unproven.

[edit] Second term

Kilpatrick was hospitalized and diagnosed with diverticulitis in Houston, Texas, in July 2006. Kilpatrick's personal physician indicated that Kilpatrick's condition may have been caused by a high-protein weight-loss diet.^[18] Detroit's city council voted unanimously to approve Kilpatrick’s tax plan, which he said he hopes will provide homeowners some relief from the city’s high property tax rates. The cuts ranged from 18% to 35%, depending on the property’s value.^[19]

[edit] Audit reports

The city was 14 months late in filing it 2005-2006 audit and now estimates that it will cost an additional $2.4 million due to new auditing requirements that were not addressed by the city. The 2006-2007 fiscal year audit due on December 31, 2007 is expected to be 11 months late.^[20]

The State Treasury is withholding $35 million of its monthly revenue sharing to the city and requires Detroit to receive approval before selling bonds to raise money.^[20] Kilpatrick told the city council that he takes partial blame for the late audits because he laid off too many accountants, but the firm hired to replace them is not doing its job.^[21]

[edit] 2008 State of the City Address and reaction

On March 11, 2008, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick delivered his seventh State of the City Address to Detroit. The majority of the 70-minute speech focused on positive changes occurring throughout Detroit and future plans. Kilpatrick specifically noted increased police surveillance, new policing technologies, and initiatives to rebuild neglected neighborhoods in the city. He received repeated standing ovations from the invitation-only audience.

Towards the end of the speech, Kilpatrick deviated from the transcript given to the media^[22] and posted on his official website^[23] to address the scandal and controversy surrounding his years in office. Kilpatrick stated that the media is only focusing on the controversies as a spectacle to increase their viewership. In closing, he addressed the city council members who chose not to sit behind him on the stage in protest, particularly Kenneth Cockrel Jr., and asked that people "say no more" about any of the controversy.

"...And finally, and this may be the most talked-about part of this speech after laying out all of that, but I feel that I cannot leave this auditorium with my wife and my sons sitting there without addressing this issue. In the past 30 days I've been called a nigger more than anytime in my entire life. In the past three days I've received more death threats than I have in my entire administration. I've heard these words before but I've never heard people say them about my wife and children. I have to say this because it's very personal to me. I don't believe that a Nielsen rating is worth the life of my children or your children. This unethical, illegal lynch mob mentality has to stop. And it's seriously time. We've never been here before. And I don't care if they cut the TV off. We've never been in a situation like this before. Where you can say anything, do anything, have no facts, no research, no nothing and you can launch a hate-driven bigoted assault on a family. I humbly ask members of the council, I humbly ask the business community, I humbly ask the religious community, I humbly ask the brothers and sisters of the city of Detroit - I humbly ask that we say 'no more' together. I humbly ask that we say no more together. I love this city with every part of my being. I will continue to stay focused on building the next Detroit. God Bless you, Detroit. I love you."

—Kwame M. Kilpatrick, 2008 Detroit State of the City Address

Michigan Governor and fellow democrat, Jennifer Granholm issued a statement in which she condemned the use of the word nigger in any context.^[24] The statement noted that Granholm and Kilpatrick attended the ceremonial burial of the racial slur last summer. The statement stopped short of calling for Kilpatrick's resignation.

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox stated on WJR radio that he thought that using the word 'nigger' was "reprehensible". Cox went on to say, "I thought his statements were race-baiting on par with David Duke and George Wallace, all to save his political career. I'm not a Detroiter, but last night crossed the line...those statements not only hurt Detroit, [but] as long as the mayor is there, he will be a drag on the whole region." Cox then said that whether Kilpatrick is brought up on criminal charges or not, Kilpatrick should resign.^[25]

Former Kilpatrick political adviser Sam Riddle, labeled the address a race-baiting speech. "It's an act of desperation to use the N-word," said Riddle. "He's attempting to regain his base of support by playing the race card. He's gone to that well one too many times."^[25]

In response to Kilpatrick characterizing the media coverage of his scandals as a baseless "hate-driven bigoted assault on a family", Carmen Harlan, a news anchor at WDIV television, stated the following:

" Mr. Mayor, I'd like to address you directly. You were absolutely right tonight when you said that death-threats and racial slurs are wrong. I'll even go further, they're inexcusable and inappropriate. But to say that we, the media, are to blame for this mess isn't fair either. Using emotionally driven words, like the N-word, phrases like "hate-driven" and "bigoted assault", even "lynch mob mentality", stirs the very core of even my emotions. You see, I love the city too, as much as you do. Like you, we [the media] have a job to do too. I've asked you to sit down with me; explain what we don't understand and how we may have gotten it wrong. I'm still waiting for that phone call. And I quote you, 'No more, I humbly ask! The Kwame Kilpatrick roller coaster has to stop!"

—Carmen Harlan, Response to Kwame Kilpatrick's 2008 Detroit State of the City Address^[26]

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Allegations of mayoral misbehavior

[edit] Manoogian Mansion party

Kilpatrick's first controversy started as rumors of a wild party in the fall of 2002 involving strippers at the official residence of the mayor—the city-owned Manoogian Mansion. It is alleged by former members of the mayor's Executive Protection Unit that the mayor's wife, Carlita Kilpatrick, came home unexpectedly and upon discovering Kwame with the strippers began to attack one of the women.^[27] Allegations began to surface after Officer Harold C. Nelthrope contacted the internal affairs unit of the Detroit Police in April 2003 to have them investigate abuses by the mayor's Executive Protection Unit (EPU). Mayor Kilpatrick denied all allegations and rumors of any misconduct by him or his security team. He went on to state that he does not have 'lewd parties'; "I don't whore around on my wife"; and "I want people to understand that I would never disrespect my God, my wife or my children".^[28][29] Nelthrope and Gary A. Brown, head of the Detroit Police Department's internal affairs unit allege that they were fired by the administration in retaliation for investigating the mayor's misconduct. An investigation by the attorney general Mike Cox and the State Police found no evidence that the party actually happened.^[27] Nelthrope and Brown sued the city in what came to be known as the Whistleblower Trial and won an $8.4 million dollar settlement after the trial.

Additionally, two other officers of the Detroit Police Department, Walt Harris and Alvin Bowman, claimed they were retaliated against for their involvement in investigations that would highlight the mayor's misconduct. Harris, was a former member of the EPU, who was identified by the administration as cooperating with the state's investigation of the mayor and subsequently suffered a smear campaign in the media by the Kilpatrick administration.^[27]

[edit] The murder of Tamara Greene

Tamara Greene was a 27-year-old exotic dancer who went by the name "Strawberry" and who claimed to have performed at the Manoogian Mansion party. While sitting in her car with her boyfriend, Greene was shot 3 times with a .40 caliber Glock handgun. Although official statement by Detroit Police Department claims that Ms. Green was shot three times, sources from Homicide Division of DPD have claimed that she, in fact, was shot 18 times. Her boyfriend was wounded, but he was not shot after the white Chevrolet TrailBlazer driven by the shooter(s) turned around and drove by a second time. This fact led Bowman to conclude that Greene was the intended target and not her 32-year-old boyfriend.^[30] She was murdered on April 30, 2003, at around 3:40 am, near the intersection of Roselawn and West Outer Drive.^[30][31] Her murder came after a first attempt on her life failed. This led to the theory that this was a "deliberate hit" by a member of the Detroit Police Department.^[31] A theory that Bowman would investigate and what he alleges was the reason that he was taken off of the case and transferred out of homicide.^[30]

Greene's family filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Detroit for $150 million based on their belief her murder was a deliberate attack to keep her from talking to officers who were investigating the rumored party at the mayoral Manoogian Mansion.^[31] A judge ruled that Norman Yatooma, the attorney representing Greene's 14-year-old son, can have access to text messages of Kilpatrick, police chief Ella Bully-Cummings and dozens of other city employees to ascertain if city officials derailed the investigation into Greene's murder.^[32] Yatooma also wants the text messages and GPS positions of every city employee exchanged between 1:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on April 30, 2003.^[32][33] The city's communications provider Skytel has indicated it is prepared to release the text messages if the court rules accordingly.^[32]

The lawyers for the city paid a retainer of $24,950 to the lawyers it hired to represent the city. City policy mandates that contracts $25,000 or more be approved by the city council.^[34] Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel asserts that the amount paid "is small for a retainer" and "I think this is probably somebody's effort to get a deposit to a lawyer on an expedited basis in a case that's got a lot of scrutiny."^[34] This is at least the second time the Kilpatrick administration has avoided council approval by entering into contracts just below the $25,000 threshold. The Lincoln Navigator SUV leased for the Kilpatrick family in 2005 with city funds costs $24,995.^[34]

On March 1st, 2008, a ten-page sworn affidavit by former Detroit police lieutenant Alvin Bowman was filed by Yatooma in the U.S. District Court in Detroit. In that affidavit, Bowman states that "I suspected that the shooter was a law enforcement officer, and more specifically, a Detroit Police Department officer."^[30] Bowman contends that the high number of .40 caliber bullets that hit Greene but not her boyfriend would indicate that the shooter had firearms training. In the document, Bowman explained how the highest levels of the police department, including then-police chief Jerry Oliver and his successor, Ella Bully-Cummings, deliberately sabotaged his investigation. He claims that files were deleted from homicide computers, reports were removed from the homicide file, and the Greene murder file itself was locked up so Bowman could not access it. Bowman states that eventually he was transferred out of homicide because he had asked too many questions about the Greene murder and the Manoogian Mansion party.^[30] In the affidavit, Bowman says that Greene was employed with an associate of Kilpatrick, but did not name the associate. Bowman also stated that Greene's telephone records linked her to a high-ranking city employee not long before her April 2003 death. Mayer Morganroth, the lawyer representing the city said, "The Bowman affidavit is a little less than idiotic and more than absurd."^[30]

In another sworn affidavit, Joyce Carolyn Rogers, a former employee for the Detroit Police Department stated that she read a police report that came across her desk in the fall 2002 which involved the mayor's wife, Carlita Kilpatrick assaulting Greene during the alleged Manoogian Mansion party. Rogers stated in the affidavit that Carlita had witnessed Greene touching the mayor "in a manner that upset the mayor's wife."^[35]

Rogers' affidavit said that in the report Carlita Kilpatrick left the room and came back with a wooden object and began assaulting Greene. Two other men stepped in and tried to restrain the mayor's wife.^[35]

Norman Yatooma attorney for the Greene family said that this new sworn affidavit proves that the Manoogian party was not "urban legend."^[35]

[edit] Whistleblower trial

In 2003, a civil lawsuit was filed against Kilpatrick by his ex-bodyguard Harold Nelthrope and former Deputy Chief Police Gary Brown. The police officers claim they were fired because of an internal probe into the mayor's personal actions, and that the firing was a violation of the whistleblower law.^[36]

The trial began in August 2007 with Kilpatrick and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty both denying they were involved in an extramarital affair.^[36] In his testimony, Kilpatrick expressed anger about claims of an affair between him and Beatty and under oath said:

“

I think it was pretty demoralizing to her—you have to know her —but it's demoralizing to me as well," he said. "My mother is a congresswoman. There have always been strong women around me. My aunt is a state legislator. I think it's absurd to assert that every woman that works with a man is a whore. I think it's disrespectful not just to Christine Beatty but to women who do a professional job that they do every single day. And it's also disrespectful to their families as well.[37][38]

”

The trial ended on September 11, 2007, after three hours of jury deliberation, in a verdict awarding the plaintiffs $6.5 million in damages. In an angry speech in front of City Hall made minutes after the verdict was read, Kilpatrick blamed the "wrong verdict" on white suburbanite jurors. Kilpatrick also stated "There's race in this, and we run from it in this region. And I think it's impossible for us to move forward as a region without confronting it head-on. But I don't want what has happened in the past 24 months to be erased by what has happened in the last two days."^[39][40]

The City Council is determined that it and the people of the city of Detroit be fully informed as to the circumstances of any settlement, but particularly this settlement. William Goodman[41]

Kilpatrick vowed to appeal the verdict, but weeks later during stalled settlement negotiations quickly approved an $8.4 million settlement upon learning of a motion by Mike Stefani, the police officers' attorney, which contained evidence that Kilpatrick and Beatty perjured themselves in their deposition and trial testimony. The Detroit City Council voted to pay the $8.4 million to the two officers involved in the civil suit and a third former officer who filed a separate lawsuit against Kilpatrick.^[42] The Detroit City Council was not made aware of the text messages or a confidentiality agreement to keep them private when Kilpatrick and city lawyers requested the council to approve the $8.4 million settlement.^[43]

The Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News, and the Detroit City Council sued under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requesting that the city release all settlement-related documents.^[44][45] The FOIA lawsuit ordered Mike Stefani to be deposed by the plaintiffs. Stefani revealed in the deposition the existence of a confidentiality agreement signed by all parties to keep confidential intimate text-messages between Kilpatrick and his then chief of staff, Christine Beatty.^[44] The Detroit Law Department initially denied the existence a 'secret deal', but later fought unsuccessfully all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court to keep the documents sealed on the grounds that they are private communications.^[46] The unsealed documents revealed the stratagem of Kilpatrick and the City of Detroit Law Department to hide a series of text-messages that contradict the sworn testimony of Kilpatrick and Beatty, and provided the basis for a criminal investigation against the pair.^[47][48]

The secret deal called for Brown to forfeit $3 million, Nelthrope to forfeit $2 million and Harris to give up $400,000 if they ever revealed the information; Stefani would forfeit $2.6 million in legal fees if he or any of his employees ever divulged the existence of the text-messages.^[49]

An investigation by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy concluded with Kilpatrick and Beatty charged with obstruction of justice, conspiracy, misconduct in office, and perjury.^[47] The council has requested Kilpatrick resign as mayor and that Jennifer Granholm use her gubernatorial authority to remove Kilpatrick from office due to his conduct in the trial.^[50][51] Granholm said the inquiry is like a trial and that her role would be "functioning in a manner similar to that of a judicial officer."^[51]

Kilpatrick said he has paid back the $8.4 million through "hard work for the city" and dismissed any aspiration of removing him from office as "political rhetoric."^[52]

[edit] Text-messaging scandal

Main article: Kilpatrick and Beatty text-messaging scandal

In January 2008, The Detroit Free Press examined and revealed the existence of more than 14,000 text messages exchanged between Kilpatrick and his chief of staff Christine Beatty on their city issued SkyTel pagers between September–October 2002 and April–May 2003. The dates are of importance because they encompass the time periods of the alleged Manoogian Mansion party and the ouster of Gary Brown respectively.^[53]

The text-messages are the nucleus of an $8.4 million secret deal settlement by the city of Detroit. The attorneys for the city had tried since 2004 to keep the text messages hidden on the basis that they were personal and private communications.^[53] However, a city directive re-authorized by Kilpatrick during his first term as mayor indicates that all electronic communication sent on city equipment should be "used in an honest, ethical, and legal manner" and cautions, "is not considered to be personal or private."^[54] The mayor's spokesman said the policy only applies to city-owned equipment and the text-messages are exempt since they were sent on a city-leased device.^[54]

Kilpatrick and Beatty, both married at the time, did discuss city business; however, many of the series of messages describe not a professional relationship but an extramarital sexual relationship between the two, often in graphic detail. The text messages further describe their use of city funds to arrange romantic getaways, their fears of being caught by the mayor's police protection unit, and evidence the pair conspired to fire Detroit Police Deputy Chief Gary Brown.^[53]

The exchanges also show their knowledge of 'fronts' in the bidding process and preferential treatment to close friend and businessman Bobby Ferguson. Text messages exchanged between Beatty and Ferguson show Ferguson requested and was given access to other contractors' bids, proposals and rates in order to undercut them, and ultimately secured over $45 million in city contracts. This preferential treatment in the Kilpatrick administration has come to be known as the 'Friends and Family Plan.'^[55]

On March 18th, 2008, the Detroit City Council passed a non-binding resolution asking for Kilpatrick to resign as mayor. The vote was 7-1 with Monica Conyers being the only member to vote no. Martha Reeves was absent from the vote. The resolution cited 33 reasons for Kilpatrick to step down as mayor; reasons ranging from the secret settlement deals, to mandatory audits not being submitted to the state, to Kilpatrick's willingness to “repeatedly obfuscates the truth.” It was in effect a vote of no confidence in Kilpatrick and his administration. Kilpatrick has dismissed the vote as irrelevant and he declared that he will not resign as mayor. While this was a non-binding resolution, the council did ask its independent attorney, Bill Goodman, to “explore the proceedings by which the mayor may be removed from office” if Kilpatrick stands by his promise not to resign.^[56]

On March 26th, 2008, the Detroit Free Press published another text message that clearly contradicts Kilpatrick's testimony that Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown's employment was not terminated, but that he was 'unappointed'. In June 2003, six weeks after Brown's employment with the Detroit Police Department ended and just hours before Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox was to announce the findings of his office's investigation into Kilpatrick's security team's misconduct, the Manoogian Mansion party and the firing of Brown, Kwame Kilpatrick texted his staff the following on June 24, 2003:

"We must answer the question? Why was Gary Brown fired, It will be asked, I need short, powerful answer. ... I just need a good answer whatever it might be."^[57]

On the stand in the whistle blower trial, Kilpatrick stated that Brown was 'unappointed' from his duties as Deputy Police Chief and head of the department's internal affairs unit. The jury in that trial found in favor of Brown's account that he was fired and not 'unappointed'.

[edit] Criminal charges

This section documents a current court case. Information may change rapidly as the case progresses.

Main article: Kilpatrick-Beatty criminal trial

On March 24, 2008, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced a 12-count criminal indictment against Kilpatrick and former Detroit Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, charging Kilpatrick with eight felonies and Beatty with seven. Charges for both included perjury, misconduct in office and obstruction of justice. Worthy also suggested that others in the Kilpatrick administration could also be charged. ^[58]

In March of 2008, a group of Kilpatrick's supporters created the “Detroit Justice Fund" to help cover the cost of the mayor's legal defense. Members of the fund's supervisory committee include former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown and former DTE executive Martin Taylor. Greg Mathis, a retired District Court judge and television personality was listed as a committee member, but disavowed any such support and has since called for Kilpatrick to resign.^[59]

The preliminary examination for the upcoming trial is scheduled for September 22, 2008.^[60]

[edit] Red Lincoln Navigator

In 2005, WXYZ-TV reporter Steve Wilson reported that the city had entered an expensive one year lease for a luxury SUV. It was to be used to chauffeur the mayor's family. The lease was for $24,995; five dollars under the amount that would have required the approval of city council. Kilpatrick, chief of staff Christine Beatty, police chief Ella Bully-Cummings, and other members of the mayor's staff all denied that the red Lincoln Navigator was intended to be used by the mayor's wife and children. Eventually, Kilpatrick admitted the Navigator was for his family, claiming he had told the police chief that it was "too much" and to take it back.^[61] Media coverage of this story was best known for a situation involving the mayor and his security team. Wilson had tracked Kilpatrick down in Washington, D.C., where he was attending a mayor's conference. When Wilson tried to question Kilpatrick about the Navigator lease, a member of the mayor's security team is seen on camera shoving Wilson against a wall.^[62]

[edit] Civic fund

On May 8, 2007, WXYZ reported that Kilpatrick used $8,600 from his secret Kilpatrick Civic Fund to take his wife, three sons and babysitter on a week long vacation to a five-star California resort, the La Costa Resort and Spa.^[63] The fund, controlled by Kilpatrick's sister and friends, was created to improve the city of Detroit through voter education, economic empowerment and crime prevention. Tax and accounting experts said Kilpatrick's use of the fund was a violation of IRS regulations.^[64] The story was also compounded after WXYZ's cameras caught Kilpatrick in a fit of rage grabbing the microphone out of the hand of reporter Ray Sayah and throwing it hard across the room such that it hit a wall, while Sayah tried to question him about the situation.

[edit] Slander suit

Kilpatrick was named in a slander lawsuit along with Christine Beatty and police chief Ella Bully-Cummings. The lawsuit was brought about by two police officers that claimed to have been slandered in the media by city officials.^[65]

The lawsuit stems from a 2004 incident in which the two police officers pulled over Kilpatrick's chief of staff Christine Beatty for speeding. Beatty was irate at being stopped and bluntly asked the officers, "Do you know who the fuck I am?" when the officers came to the vehicle.^[65] While stopped, Beatty called Police Chief Bully-Cummings to have the officers called off, which the officers allege they were ordered to do. When reports of the incident started to surface in the media, Kilpatrick, Beatty and Bully-Cummings all claimed that the traffic stop was some type of "set-up" to harass Beatty.^[66]

The parties in the law suit entered into mediation which recommended a settlement of $25,000 which was rejected twice by the Detroit City Council.^[67]

In January 2008, it was revealed through text messages that Kilpatrick and Beatty were involved in a sexual relationship that both denied under oath. The attorney for the officers said

"I might take a different position on the case now. The mayor has been exposed and I may want more money for my clients now."^[66]

On February 19 2008, the Detroit City Council voted unanimously to settle the lawsuit for $25,000. The attorney for the officers accepted the settlement and said of the officers, “They don’t want to be embroiled in this whole scandal."^[67]

[edit] Recall campaign

The Wayne County Election Committee approved a recall petition to remove Kilpatrick as mayor based on the multi-million dollar settlement in a whistle-blower lawsuit against the city, and the accusation that Kilpatrick misled the City Council into approving the settlement. The recall petition was filed by Douglas Johnson, a city council candidate.^[68] Kilpatrick has appealed to the commission to reconsider its decision on the grounds that Johnson is not a resident of Detroit.^[69] Johnson also requested that Jennifer Granholm use her power as Governor to remove Kilpatrick from office.

On March 12, 2008, at the request of the Mayor's office, Wayne County Election Commission rescinded its earlier approval for the recall. The Mayor's office argued that there was not any evidence that the organizer, Douglas Johnson, actually resided within the city limits of Detroit. Johnson stated that his group would refile using another person whose residency would not be an issue. ^[70] On March 27, 2008, a second recall petition was filed against Kilpatrick by Angelo Brown. Brown stated in his filing that Kilpatrick is too preoccupied with his legal problems to be effective. Kilpatrick's spokesman James Canning again dismissed this latest recall by saying: "It’s Mr. Brown’s right to file a petition, but it’s just another effort by a political hopeful to grab headlines."^[71]

On May 14 the Detroit City Council voted to request that the governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, remove Kilpatrick from office.^[72]

[edit] Funneling of State Grant Money to Wife

Kilpatrick used his influence while in the Michigan legislature to funnel state grant money to two organizations that were vague on their project description. The groups were run by friends of Kilpatrick and both agreed to subcontract work to U.N.I.T.E., a company owned by Kilpatrick's wife Carlita. Carlitta was the only employee and the firm received $175,000 from the organizations.^[73] Detroit 3D was one of the groups and the State canceled its second and final installment of $250,000 because 3D refused to divulge details on how the funds were being spent.^[73]

[edit] Washington D.C. Police Denies Kilpatrick After-Hours Courtesy Protection

Since 2002, the Washington D.C. police will only offer professional courtesy protection to Kilpatrick while he is conducting official business in the nation's capital. Washington police no longer provide after-hours police protection to Kilpatrick because of his inappropriate partying during past visits. Sergeant Tyrone Dodson of Washington explained by saying "we arrived at this decision because we felt that the late evening partying on the part of Mayor Kilpatrick would leave our officers stretched too thin and might result in an incident at one of the clubs." The Kilpatrick administration allege that the statements and actions of the Washington police are part a political conspiracy to ruin the mayor.^[74]

[edit] Preferential hiring of friends and family

It was reveled that at any given time there are about 100 appointees of Kilpatrick employed with the city. The Detroit Free Press examined city records and found that 29 of Kilpatrick's closest friends and family were appointed to positions within the various city departments. This hiring practice came to be known as 'the friends and family plan'. Some appointees had little to no experience, while others like Kilpatrick's uncle Ray Cheeks and cousin Nneka Cheeks, falsified their résumés. Kilpatrick's cousin, Patricia Peoples, was appointed to the deputy director of human resources, giving her the ability to hire more of Kilpatrick's friends and family without it being viewed as a mayoral appointment. Political appointments are not illegal but the sheer volume of Kilpatrick's appointments compared to all the appointments made by Detroit mayors since 1970 put together and that Kilpatrick has cut thousands of city jobs make his appointments controversial.^[75]

The jobs held by friends and family range from secretarial positions to department heads. The appointees had an average salary increase of 36% compared with a 2% raise in 2003 and 2% raise in 2004 for fellow city workers. Some of the biggest salary increases were for April Edgar, half-sister of Christine Beatty, whose pay increase was 86% over 5 years. One of Kilpatrick's cousins, Ajene Evans, had a 77% increase in his salary same period. The biggest salary increase among the 29 appointees was that of LaTonya Wallace-Hardiman who went from $32,500 staff secretary, to an executive assistant making $85,501—163% in five years.^[75]

The city has laid off more than 4,000 city workers and more than 1,000 police officers since Kilpatrick's first term. None of Kilpatrick's friends or family have been laid off.^[75]

[edit] Electoral history

• 2005 Race for Mayor (Detroit)
  • Kwame Kilpatrick (D) (inc.), 53%
  • Freman Hendrix (D), 47%

• 2005 Race for Mayor (Detroit) (Primary Election)
  • Freman Hendrix (D), 45%
  • Kwame Kilpatrick (D) (inc.), 34%
  • Sharon McPhail (D), 12%
  • Hansen Clarke (D), 8%

• 2001 Race for Mayor (Detroit)
  • Kwame Kilpatrick (D), 54%
  • Gil Hill (D), 46%

[edit] See also

• Marc Dann
• Ilkka Kanerva
• Eliot Spitzer
• Mike Cox

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Internet Petition To Recall Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
• Bio page from City of Detroit
• New York Times article profiling Kilpatrick
• CityMayors.com profile
• 2005 "Kilpatrick for Mayor" site
• Mayors Against Illegal Guns homepage
• An anti-Kwame Kilpatrick website
• Finland's foreign minister ousted over text message scandal
• Anti-Kwame Kilpatrick blog
• Official Web Site of the Recall Effort

Preceded by Dennis Archer

Mayor of Detroit 2002 – present

Incumbent

v • d • e Kwame Kilpatrick Politics Mayor of Detroit, Michigan House of Representatives Controversies Text Message Scandal · Criminal Charges Family Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick · Marsha Cheeks

Persondata
NAME	Kilpatrick, Kwame
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	mayor of Detroit, Michigan
DATE OF BIRTH	1970-06-6
PLACE OF BIRTH	Detroit, Michigan
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH