- Kilpatrick-Beatty criminal trial
On March 24, 2008,
Wayne County, Michigan Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced a 12-count criminal indictment against Detroit MayorKwame Kilpatrick and his former Chief of Staff and paramourChristine Beatty . Kilpatrick was charged with eight felonies and Beatty with seven. Charges for both includedperjury ,misconduct in office andobstruction of justice . Worthy also suggested that others in the Kilpatrick administration could also be charged. cite web |url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080324/NEWS01/303250001|title=Kilpatrick, Beatty face felony charges. The 12-count criminal information charges perjury, conspiracy, misconduct in office and obstruction of justice. |accessdate=2008-03-24 |last=ASHENFELTER|first=DAVID |coauthors=JOE SWICKARD |date=2008-03-24 |work=detnews.com |publisher=Detroit Free Press |quote= ]Text-messaging scandal
The charges stem from a political-
sex scandal emerging from a sexual relationship between Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick and his chief of staff Christine Beatty. The revelation of thisextra-marital affair was confirmed in text messages exchanged between Kilpatrick and Beatty. The text messages appear to contradict testimony that Kilpatrick and Beatty gave at a trial in 2007 in regards to whether they had an affair and had fired an officer for investigating the mayor's behavior. The City of Detroit settled the lawsuit for $8.4 million based on the recommendation of Kilpatrick and the City of Detroit law department.cite web |url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080324/NEWS01/303250001|title=Kilpatrick, Beatty face felony charges. The 12-count criminal information chargesperjury ,conspiracy ,misconduct in office andobstruction of justice . |accessdate=2008-03-24 |last=ASHENFELTER|first=DAVID |coauthors=JOE SWICKARD |date=2008-03-24 |work=freep.com |publisher=Detroit Free Press |quote= ]The news has led to Beatty resigning in February 2008 and political leaders and citizens calling for Kilpatrick to resign.
Criminal charges
:"See also": [http://www.wxyz.com/news/story.aspx?content_id=4466c6a3-ebfc-4e4b-a7da-b1118c67bc18 Details of Charges File Against Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty]
*Count 1: Conspiracy to obstruct justice (5-year maximum sentence)
*Count 2: Obstruction of justice. Accused of firing Detroit Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown as part of an effort to illegally hamper a criminal investigation and committing perjury to hide the firing of Brown or a relationship between the mayor and Beatty. (5-year maximum sentence)
* Count 3: Misconduct in office. Accused of firing Brown to hamper a criminal probe of Kilpatrick's personal conduct or the conduct of his security unit and committing perjury to hide the firing. (5-year maximum sentence)
*Count 4: Misconduct in office. Accused of authorizing the city to settle a whistle-blowers' lawsuit with the motive of preventing the release of text messages showing the mayor and his aide lied under oath. (5-year maximum sentence)
*Count 5: Perjury in court. Accused of lying under oath in August 2007 by saying he did not fire Brown, did not know Brown was investigating him or a rumored party at the mayor's official residence and testifying falsely as to other circumstances surrounding the termination of Brown. (15-year maximum sentence)
*Count 6: Perjury in court. Accused of falsely testifying in August 2007 that he didn't have a romantic or sexual relationship with Beatty. (15-year maximum sentence)
*Count 7: Perjury outside of court. Accused of swearing falsely before a notary public in June 2003 as to the circumstances surrounding the "un-appointment" of Brown. (15-year maximum sentence)Kilpatrick was charged with a separate eighth count
*Count 8: Perjury outside court. Accused of swearing falsely before a notary public in October 2004 as to the circumstances surrounding the "un-appointment" of Brown. (15-year maximum sentence) [cite web |date=2008-03-24 |url=http://www.wxyz.com/news/story.aspx?content_id=4466c6a3-ebfc-4e4b-a7da-b1118c67bc18 |title=Details of Charges File Against Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty |publisher=wxyz.com |accessdate=2008-04-18]Legal defense fund
To help offset the cost of Kilpatrick's criminal defense team, a fund was set up to raise money. According to Kilpatrick legal team spokesman Christopher Garrett, the fund's membership committee included former mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown; Detroit native and television personality Judge
Greg Mathis ;Malik Shabazz , the leader of theNew Black Panthers in Detroit; and S. Martin Taylor, a former DTE executive and aUniversity of Michigan regent.cite web |url=http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080327/METRO/803270391 |title=Mayor Kilpatrick to get legal defense funding |accessdate=2008-03-27 |last=Snell |first=Robert |coauthors=Christine MacDonald and Darren A. Nichols |date=2008-03-27 |work=detnews.com |publisher=The Detroit News] However, within 24 hours Greg Mathis had contacted the media to state that the reports of his support for Kilpatrick were not true. Mathis stated: "I was contacted Wednesday afternoon [March 26, 2008] by Mayor Kilpatrick. He asked if I could serve on his legal defense committee. I informed him I support due process, but I could not support him. This [false statement of Mathis' support] is the same type of deceit that has plunged our city into a deep crisis... Not only do I not support him, but I recommend he resign so the city can heal and move forward." [cite web |url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080327/NEWS01/80327037 |title=Mathis calls for mayor's resignation, refutes reports of support |accessdate=2008-03-27 |last=ELRICK |first=M.L. |coauthors= |date=2008-03-27 |work= freep.com |publisher=Detroit Free Press]Citations
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