SubscribeDetroit Mayor Indicted - Guess That Party!
From the DNC’s Associated Press:
Detroit mayor charged with perjury
DETROIT - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a one-time rising star and Detroit’s youngest elected leader, was charged Monday with perjury and other counts after sexually explicit text messages contradicted his sworn denials of an affair with a top aide.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also charged the popular yet polarizing 37-year-old mayor with obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. Kilpatrick, who was to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, could face up to 15 years in prison and be expelled from office if convicted.
“Some have suggested that the issues in this case are personal or private,” Worthy said. “Our investigation has clearly shown that public dollars were used, people’s lives were ruined, the justice system severely mocked and the public trust trampled on. … This case is about as far from being a private matter as one can get.”
Speaking several hours later, Kilpatrick said he expects to be cleared.
“I look forward to complete exoneration once all the facts have been brought forth,” Kilpatrick said. “I will remain focused on moving this city forward.”
Former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, 37, who also denied under oath that she and Kilpatrick had a romantic relationship in 2002 and 2003, was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice. A message seeking comment from Beatty’s attorney, Jeffrey Morganroth, was not returned.
The charges could signal the end of Kilpatrick’s six-year career as mayor of one of America’s largest cities. Calls for his resignation have surfaced since late January and the Detroit City Council asked him to step down last week.
Worthy began her investigation the day after the Free Press published excerpts of the embarrassing text messages in late January. The messages called into question testimony Kilpatrick and Beatty gave in a lawsuit filed by two police officers who alleged they were fired for investigating claims that the mayor used his security unit to cover up extramarital affairs.
In court, Kilpatrick and Beatty denied having an intimate relationship, but the text messages reveal that they carried on a flirty, sometimes sexually explicit dialogue about where to meet and how to conceal their trysts.
Kilpatrick is married with three children. Beatty was married at the time and has two children.
The city agreed to pay $8.4 million to the two officers and a third former officer who filed a separate lawsuit. Documents released last month showed Kilpatrick agreed to the settlement in an effort to keep the text messages from becoming public.
The text messages published by the Free Press revealed a romantic discourse.
“I’m madly in love with you,” Kilpatrick wrote on Oct. 3, 2002.
“I hope you feel that way for a long time,” Beatty replied. “In case you haven’t noticed, I am madly in love with you, too!”
Worthy filed eight counts against Kilpatrick and seven against Beatty.
Perjury is a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. A felony conviction would mean Kilpatrick’s immediate expulsion from office under the Detroit City Charter.
Kilpatrick faces charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, misconduct in office, perjury in a court proceeding and two counts of perjury other than in a court proceeding.
Beatty is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury in a court proceeding and two counts of perjury other than in a court proceeding.
For Beatty, who attended high school with Kilpatrick and managed his campaigns for Michigan’s state House and the mayor’s office, the scandal forced her to resign.
City lawyers and Kilpatrick’s attorneys waged a futile legal battle to keep documents related to the lawsuit settlement and text messages from public eyes.
Calls for his resignation surfaced in late January from some city union leaders and Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox repeated that call.
Sadly, there is very little news in any of this.
Including the fact that once again the Associated Press failed to note that the scandal centers around a Democrat.
In fact, Mr. Kilpatrick so much a Democrat he is even a superdelegate. Though he does not yet appear to have announced who is he backing.
And it’s hard to guess. Will he go for Obama because he is half-black, or Hillary because she is a fellow crook?
(Thanks to Gila Monster and RightWinger for the heads up.)
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26 Responses to “Detroit Mayor Indicted - Guess That Party!”
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March 24th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
AFP: ‘Eliot Spitzer (R)’
Remember this…? Splashed all over the wires nationally and internationally w/ an apology a week later. They have no morals.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Not only has he already cost the citizens of Detroit $8.4 million to settle with the officers investigating the misdeeds, he is poised to screw the entire citizenry for Lord only knows how much money to prosecute him. The decent thing to do would be to ‘fess up and resign. But no, he’s going to fight it, and since he’s black it won’t be long before it’s said he’s being persecuted because of his color. If it weren’t so commonplace it might be laughable. Instead it just makes me sad. I wonder what Wright would say in his defense. Something innocuous, I’m sure.
March 24th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Since Kwame has already appeared on the cover of TUCC’s Trumpet monthly magazine, I’m sure they will defend his actions in short order. I can’t wait to see what Sharpton and his ilk will say about this
This pimp of a mayor will probably slither out of this somehow. However, if he is convicted, will the Detroit faithful respond with mayhem and looting?
March 24th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
GM; ….”will the Detroit faithful respond with mayhem and looting?….”
‘Business as usual’ would be my guess. I think that’s what goes on on a daily basis………but I could be wrong, he being such a strong “law and order” type, overseeing what must have been quite a capable investigative department. I mean, he fired those guys, after all. ;-}
March 25th, 2008 at 1:50 am
I’m guessin the SI party! The Sexual Intercourse party or synonymous with the Democratic Party! Talk about a party that loves to party!! Where do we sign up?!? ROFLMAO
March 25th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Oh my God, a liberal moron dimocrat lying and crooking. I am in shock!
March 25th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
CC Ryder , why all the redundancy ? Liberal sez it all ! Haw-haw .
March 25th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
I’ve got a funny feeling that he is still a “rising” star! If you KNOW what I mean! ROFLMAO.
March 25th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Question for anyone who may know. Is lying in a civil suit considered perjury? Everything else he did to cover up ie firing police and 8.4 million settlement is really messed up but Im curious about the perjury charge in a civil case. His lawyer brought it up several times.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
…….”Kilpatrick faces charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, misconduct in office, perjury in a court proceeding and two counts of perjury other than in a court proceeding…….”
The perjury charges arise in conjunction with the other listed charges which ARE felonies, thus they rise to that level of gravity. Bill Clinton was disbarred for his perjury also in conjunction with his obstruction of justice conviction. Any way you look at it, Kilpatrick cost the taxpayers of Detroit one helluva lot of money (8.4m) on account of it, and he’s going to cost them even more to put his sorry ass behind bars. As sleazy as Elliot Spitzer is, he did have the decency to step down. Kilpatrick should do the same.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
DrD - It does, he was under oath . . .That is the only fact that matters in this particular situation.
You can slide around the edges and what not but stop and think of this - these are the People in charge of handling our tax dollars to do the best for all the citizens, they are our ‘Leaders’ and as such - they should be held to a more strigent moral and legal accounting as should also Preachers - because they are supposed to be the role models and mentors for our children (who are our future).
Immediate removal from office and a trial - be fair and decent about ii. Delay and Foley left their offices. Rep ‘Frozen Assets’ Jefferson is still doing his job, Rep Barney Franks is still in his job and this Mayor is still sitting - shows common deceny and integrity are not part of the Democrat Party principles.
And that is the biggest shame of all these messes - our children who are learning to use semantics to avoid personal responsiblity and common human deceny. And that is what is destroying America.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
He needs to go, don’t get me wrong. I was just curious about being charged with perjury in a civil case.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
drobgyn wrote: Is lying in a civil suit considered perjury?
” It depends upon what the meaning of the word is is.” Does anyone know if that particular clip of BJB’s deposition is available on youtube? Yes, I found it. Here it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4XT-l-_3y0
March 25th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
DOC…I’m no lawyer, but the answer is definitely yes. It is perjury. You can even be charged with perjury for lying to a Notary Public! Telling the truth is the be all, end all to our judicial system which means it is a basis to our civilization. Lying, especially by a civil servant responsible to the taxpayers, is serious bussiness. Often it’s not what they lie about, but when, where, why and to whom they lied that gets them into trouble. The funny thing is Kilpatrick could have admitted his tryst early on and I’m sure the voters of Detroit wouldn’t have batted an eye. He let that ego get in the way and must have thought he was as good a liar as the Clintons or Obama, but he hasn’t got the press on his side. Pimp daddy’s goin’ down.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
PERJURY - When a person, having taken an oath before a competent tribunal, officer, or person, in any case in which a law of the U.S. authorizes an oath to be administered, that he will testify, declare, depose, or certify truly, or that any written testimony, declaration, deposition, or certificate by him subscribed, is true, willfully and contrary to such oath states or subscribes any material matter which he does not believe to be true; or in any declaration, certificate, verification, or statement under penalty of perjury, willfully subscribes as true any material matter which he does not believe to be true; 18 USC
In order for a person to be found guilty of perjury the government must prove: the person testified under oath before [e.g., the grand jury]; at least one particular statement was false; and the person knew at the time the testimony was false.
The testimony of one witness is not enough to support a finding that the testimony was false. There must be additional evidence, either the testimony of another person or other evidence, which tends to support the testimony of falsity. The other evidence, standing alone, need not convince that the testimony was false, but all the evidence on the subject must do so.
I report, You decide.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
My point is how often is someone prosecuted for lying in a civil case. As most of you know I’m an Ob and we get hit all the time and these lottery seeking bi—-s are just trying to get paid by lying and when confronted nothing happens when you prove they lied. So why this gov. official and why now? I’m not blaming this on White people cause the man messed up, that was for you 1st see I can find fault in a person of color when warranted, but is this selective prosecution?
March 25th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
It is hard to believe, but Detroit is going downhill. Riots in 1967, now this.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Doc , do you mean multiple counts of perjury under one deposition or testimony ? That , I don’t know , but the truth ,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth has no colour or creed . Even a little ” white ” lie will get you time . Pun intended . Haw !
March 25th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
A lie is a lie no matter who says it, just ask hillary.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
drdobgyn says… “……but is this selective prosecution?”
Ask Lewis Libby.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
The gravity of the charges and/or the severity of the alleged crime all come into play. In your instance, Doc, I take it to mean charges of malpractice. If this assumption is wrong then what I’m about to present might not apply. Let’s say one of your patients levels a charge against you in an attempt to “play the blue collar lottery” as we say in my business. If by lying, a jury was to award a huge sum of money to the plaintif and you choose not to appeal, your insurance pays out a cash settlement. Now let’s say after the award is made, new evidence surfaces that indicate that the plaintif did indeed lie and by so doing defrauded you (and your insurer) of a sum of money rising to the level of felony theft. As long as the statutes of limitation have not expired, you and your insurer can sue to recover your losses. The perjury then plays into the proceedings because the lie enabled the fraud, and an additional charge of perjury gets heaped onto the felony theft charge. Are you with me? Now, if caught in the lie and no award is made, the judge likely wouldn’t press criminal charges, and may not even levy a fine, the reasoning being that this person doesn’t have anything to begin with and/or the court doesn’t wish to waste its time prosecuting an obvious low-life. Shift gears.
Now let’s reverse this and say the plaintif has a legitimate claim, and you lie to avoid paying out a large settlement. If you’re caught in a lie, a jury, and even the court will view this more seriously using the premise that you have damaged this person’s physical and emotional health, callously and willfully. The jury will award a large cash settlement plus punitive damages because we all know “you guys are filthy rich” and heartless to boot, and will do anything to save your own butt. In some instances the judge can press criminal charges even though the case has been settled by the jury already because the perjury is a crime against the court as well as against the plaintif. Lawyers are the cause for a lot of the confusion, and that is what we’re seeing here. In the case of Clinton, his perjury and obstruction of justice charges were considered an affront to the courts as well as to the plaintifs, and to the whole criminal justice system. The same thing is working here with Kilpatrick. If it was just about an illicit affair and cover-up, he probably would get by with a fine and a reprimand–maybe a little more, but not much. But 8.4 million puts a different blush on the bloom. Plus, it is public money, and an abuse of the public trust. Sorry this is so wordy.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
JohnMG…..you missed your calling. ;0)
March 26th, 2008 at 1:24 am
Well stated JohnMG, dare I say / ask / inquire, pre-law classes or just the school of hard knocks?
March 26th, 2008 at 8:14 am
GM; School of hard knocks via workers comp claims. Most of the time, perjury (or rather the intent to defraud by perjuring one self) is hard to prove, even when it is obvious to everyone involved. Read the definition that 1st posted above. That is why it is so often challenged. It is also why insurance companies have a battery of lawyers on retainers or in their employ. The ambulance chasers are out there in force so you’ve got to fight fire with fire–unfortunately. And they always go for the “deep pockets” first. My brother asked me once did I know how to spell liar. Before I could respond he said, “That’s easy–lawyer.”
No, Noyz, I didn’t miss my calling. As I’ve stated before, I still have my pride. Or to put it another way……..What’s the difference between a road-killed lawyer and a road-killed skunk? The skunk will have skid-marks in front of it! Even Shakespeare had an opinion about them. Read “the Merchant of Venice” to see what he thought of the profession. ;-}
March 26th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
John thanks you made it very clear. By the way we aren’t all heartless scum….only docs who testify as expert witnesses for the plaintiff.
March 26th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
drdobgyn; Didn’t think that nor, I hope, did I suggest it. I do know that professionals of every stripe often feel like we’ve been singled out as targets by those who lack the energy and drive to grab for the brass ring themselves. I’m not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a certain sense of independence, and the satisfaction of having made my own way, to some degree, on my own terms . I respect and admire others who have done the same. That’s why I hold people in positions of authority, who betray a trust, in such low esteem, and feel they should be held to a strict standard of accountability.