Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick admits guilt, resigns

A MAYOR IN CRISIS
Mayor admits guilt, resigns

BY M.L. ELRICK, JIM SCHAEFER, JOE SWICKARD and BEN SCHMITT • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS • September 4, 2008

Updated at 10:37 a.m.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who will lose his job because he lied while under oath at a police whistle-blower trial, has just pledged to tell the truth as he prepares to admit his guilt as part of a plea deal he just struck with the Wayne County Prosecutor.


The deal calls for Kilpatrick to plead guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice by committing perjury, agreeing to serve four months in jail, pay up to $1 million in restitution, and serve five years' probation. He also agreed not to run for office during that five-year span.

The mayor will turn over his state pension to the City of Detroit, which paid $8.4 million to settle two whistle-blower lawsuits three former cops filed against the city. The mayor was charged with eight felony counts ranging from conspiracy to perjury to misconduct in office to obstruction of justice after the Free Press revealed that the mayor lied on the witness stand during a police whistle-blower trial and gave misleading testimony about whether he intended to fire a deputy police chief investigating allegations of wrongdoing by members of his inner circle.

Just before huddling with his attorney, a smiling Kilpatrick jousted with reporters sitting in the first row of the courtroom. He, apparently good-naturedly, told them their reports were wrong and they needed to check their sources. He did not elaborate.

He also shook hands with Christine Beatty, his former chief of staff and ex-lover. Beatty has left the courtroom with her attorneys, Mayer and Jeff Morganroth, and a man believed to be her pastor.

First lady Carlita Kilpatrick is in the courtroom. This is the first time she's been in a courtroom with Beatty since the scandal started in January.

The mayor has some other familiar faces in the courtroom, including Marc Andre Cunningham, a former aide to Kilpatrick resigned shortly after the Free Press reported that he had been using a city-issued cell phone that was tapped by the FBI last year. Cunningham, who acted as the mayor's valet before becoming his liaison to the film industry, has said he did not believe he was using the cell phone at the time it was tapped and he said his resignation had nothing to do with the Free Press report.

Prosecutor Douglas Baker of the Michigan Attorney General's office and Mayer Morganroth, attorney for Beatty, are in Groner's courtroom. Wayne County prosecutors have also entered the courtroom. Kilpatrick's lawyers entered with a member of the mayor's police protection team.

Earlier, Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Moran and two defense lawyers for Kilpatrick left Cadillac Place where they met for about 45 minutes with Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

In January, the newspaper published text messages Kilpatrick and his then-chief of staff Christine Beatty exchanged on city issued pagers. Worthy cited the investigation in March, when he charged Kilpatrick with eight felonies and Beatty with seven.

Earlier this week, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy had offered the mayor six months in jail. That apparently was lowered to four months by Wednesday night.

At one point Wednesday afternoon, Kilpatrick met with his department directors and staff at a regular meeting. The subject of his criminal cases was raised, said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was a private meeting. The subject of the mayor's leaving office came up, but Kilpatrick did not commit one way or the other and urged his top staff to remain focused, this source said.

The mayor's plea likely means Gov. Jennifer Granholm will cancel a second day of removal hearings for the mayor. The historic proceedings began Wednesday at Cadillac Place, the state office building located in the New Center, about 10 minutes from the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice where Kilpatrick entered his equally historic guilty plea.

Earlier this morning, Kilpatrick attorney Gerald Evelyn and prosecutor Rob Moran were seen leaving Cadillac Place. They declined to speak with reporters.

Kilpatrick's former chief of staff and ex-lover Christine Beatty, who also is charged with felonies in the scandal, was not included in any plea discussions, her lawyer said Wednesday.

"We were not part of any meeting," Mayer Morganroth said late Wednesday afternoon. "We plan to be in court in the morning and we'll see what happens then."

Kilpatrick is also facing two felony charges for allegedly assaulting deputies trying to serve a subpoena last month at the home of his sister, Ayanna. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox's office is handling that case.

A MAYOR IN CRISIS
Mayor: 'I lied under oath'
His plea deal: Resignation, 120 days in jail, $1M restitution

BY M.L. ELRICK, JIM SCHAEFER, JOE SWICKARD and BEN SCHMITT • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS • September 4, 2008

Updated at 10:45 a.m.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who will lose his job because he lied while under oath at a police whistle-blower trial, has just pledged to tell the truth as he prepares to admit his guilt as part of a plea deal he just struck with the Wayne County Prosecutor.


The deal calls for Kilpatrick to plead guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice by committing perjury, agreeing to serve four months in jail, pay up to $1 million in restitution, and serve five years' probation. He also agreed not to run for office during that five-year span.

The mayor will turn over his state pension to the City of Detroit, which paid $8.4 million to settle two whistle-blower lawsuits three former cops filed against the city. The mayor was charged with eight felony counts ranging from conspiracy to perjury to misconduct in office to obstruction of justice after the Free Press revealed that the mayor lied on the witness stand during a police whistle-blower trial and gave misleading testimony about whether he intended to fire a deputy police chief investigating allegations of wrongdoing by members of his inner circle.

In a rushed monotone, Kilpatrick told the court: "I lied under oath in the case of Gary Brown and Harold Nelthrope versus the city of Detroit ... I did so with the intent to mislead the court and jury, to impede and obstruct the disposition of justice."

Groner asked Kilpatrick: "Are you satisfied with your lawyers in this case?"
The mayor replied: "Uh, what do you mean?"

After Groner explained, Kilpatrick said he was satisfied with the performance of his legal team.

Groner: "The court's satisfied and will accept the plea to two counts of obstruction of justice."

Sentencing will be Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. in his courtroom. He did not explain why so much time will pass between the mayor's plea and sentencing.

Just before huddling with his attorney, a smiling Kilpatrick jousted with reporters sitting in the first row of the courtroom. He, apparently good-naturedly, told them their reports were wrong and they needed to check their sources. He did not elaborate.

He also shook hands with Christine Beatty, his former chief of staff and ex-lover. Beatty has left the courtroom with her attorneys, Mayer and Jeff Morganroth, and a man believed to be her pastor.

First lady Carlita Kilpatrick is in the courtroom. This is the first time she's been in a courtroom with Beatty since the scandal started in January.

The mayor has some other familiar faces in the courtroom, including Marc Andre Cunningham, a former aide to Kilpatrick resigned shortly after the Free Press reported that he had been using a city-issued cell phone that was tapped by the FBI last year. Cunningham, who acted as the mayor's valet before becoming his liaison to the film industry, has said he did not believe he was using the cell phone at the time it was tapped and he said his resignation had nothing to do with the Free Press report.

Prosecutor Douglas Baker of the Michigan Attorney General's office and Mayer Morganroth, attorney for Beatty, are in Groner's courtroom. Wayne County prosecutors have also entered the courtroom. Kilpatrick's lawyers entered with a member of the mayor's police protection team.

Earlier, Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Moran and two defense lawyers for Kilpatrick left Cadillac Place where they met for about 45 minutes with Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

In January, the newspaper published text messages Kilpatrick and his then-chief of staff Christine Beatty exchanged on city issued pagers. Worthy cited the investigation in March, when he charged Kilpatrick with eight felonies and Beatty with seven.

Earlier this week, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy had offered the mayor six months in jail. That apparently was lowered to four months by Wednesday night.

At one point Wednesday afternoon, Kilpatrick met with his department directors and staff at a regular meeting. The subject of his criminal cases was raised, said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was a private meeting. The subject of the mayor's leaving office came up, but Kilpatrick did not commit one way or the other and urged his top staff to remain focused, this source said.

The mayor's plea likely means Gov. Jennifer Granholm will cancel a second day of removal hearings for the mayor. The historic proceedings began Wednesday at Cadillac Place, the state office building located in the New Center, about 10 minutes from the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice where Kilpatrick entered his equally historic guilty plea.

Earlier this morning, Kilpatrick attorney Gerald Evelyn and prosecutor Rob Moran were seen leaving Cadillac Place. They declined to speak with reporters.

Kilpatrick's former chief of staff and ex-lover Christine Beatty, who also is charged with felonies in the scandal, was not included in any plea discussions, her lawyer said Wednesday.

"We were not part of any meeting," Mayer Morganroth said late Wednesday afternoon. "We plan to be in court in the morning and we'll see what happens then."

Kilpatrick is also facing two felony charges for allegedly assaulting deputies trying to serve a subpoena last month at the home of his sister, Ayanna. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox's office is handling that case.

Thursday, September 4, 2008
Cockrel: I'm ready to step in as mayor
Detroit City Council president says he has started putting together a potential staff list.
Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr. said he's prepared to take over today if Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick steps down amid a plea agreement, and said he's already put together the start of a potential staff.

He declined to be specific about who's on his short list but said he's likely to name a new chief of staff and deputy mayor. That would mean Kilpatrick's chief of staff, who is also acting as deputy mayor, Kandia Milton, would be out, among many other appointees expected to either resign or be fired.

But he cautioned that despite reports that Kilpatrick has agreed to a plea deal, there is no guarantee. He said he has not spoken to Kilpatrick or any of his staffers about any resignation.

"We still aren't sure what is going to happen tomorrow," Cockrel said Wednesday.

There are close to 160 mayoral appointee positions that Cockrel would have oversight over, although some of those spots are vacant.

Cockrel promised that any transition wouldn't mean a disruption of city services.

"At the end of the day, the head of the DPW is not going to go and pick up garbage," Cockrel said. "City government will continue to operate through the transition."

"Things will not grind to a halt," he said.

Cockrel has hired a spokesman, Daniel Cherrin, an attorney, lobbyist and public relations executive. He has his own firm, Royal Oak-based North Coast Strategies, and previously was the lead federal lobbyist for the Detroit Regional Chamber, according to his Web site.

Cockrel said not all of Kilpatrick's aides would have to go.

"There are some people who would definitely have to quit," Cockrel said in an interview last week on the possibility of him becoming mayor, although he declined to be specific.

But he did say everyone won't be out the door.

"I don't intend to go in with an approach that all these folks have to go," Cockrel said, saying he would be more surgical. "It could cost a lot of institutional memory."

It's not clear how long Cockrel would remain in the job if Kilpatrick resigned. Some believe the city council is required to hold a special election to fill the post.

The earliest that could be done, according to state law and the city charter, would be with a special primary election in February and a special general election in May.

But others believe the city council could opt not to have a special election at all because of the $3 million cost and because it would be too close to the regularly scheduled mayoral election in November 2009. In that case, Cockrel would serve out Kilpatrick's remaining term until December of that year. The city council would have to decide.

Cockrel has said he is mulling a mayoral run next November.

"I am confident he is personally ready," said Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel. "I'm not sure what his plan is, but he's ready."

Sheila Cockrel added she "is not privy" to what the council president is thinking but knows he has been talking to people who would be willing to serve in his cabinet.

Detroit News Staff Writer David Josar contributed to this report. You can reach Christine MacDonald at (313) 222-2396 or cmacdonald@detnews.com

Police Chief Bully-Cummings retires

BY BEN SCHMITT • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • September 4, 2008

Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings announced her retirement today through a press release just minutes after Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two felonies and resigned.

"Chief Bully-Cummings’ retirement is effective immediately," according to a statement written by the chief's Spokesman James Tate. " She has agreed to assist her successor to help stabilize the transition of leadership within the Detroit Police Department if she is requested to do so.

"The men and women of the Detroit Police Department would like to thank Chief Bully-Cummings for her years of dedicated service to the Department as well as her guidance and wish her well in all future endeavors."

Bully-Cummings joined the department in 1977 at the age of 19. She left for several years to work as a lawyer and returned as Assistant Chief under then-Chief Jerry Oliver, replacing him on Nov. 3, 2003. Oliver left amid a scandal stemming from a gun being found in his luggage at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

He also loses his law license and Kym Worthy said he will go immediately to Jail after the Oct. 28 booking hearing!

GOVERNOR'S PROCEEDINGS
Granholm's hearing hinges on plea
BY BEN SCHMITT, M.L. ELRICK and JIM SCHAEFER • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS • September 4, 2008

Day 2 of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's removal hearing against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick begins this morning -- maybe.

"We will potentially reconvene tomorrow morning -- potentially -- after some proceedings in the morning," Granholm said Wednesday after more than seven hours of testimony in the Cadillac Place state office building in Detroit. "There is no notice to you as to the specific time. Most likely around 10. Just letting you know."

Intense media attention over the hearing Wednesday morning gave way to a sudden and dramatic shift back to Wayne County Circuit Court after Prosecutor Kym Worthy's office released a statement that Kilpatrick would plead guilty at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday to an unspecified number of criminal charges in connection with the text message scandal.

The promised plea hearing, just as abruptly, was canceled, then tentatively rescheduled for 9 a.m. today.

A focused Granholm continued with her hearing, even as members of the media scrambled from the room. Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said the hearing will continue today barring news of Kilpatrick's resignation.

Kilpatrick did not attend Wednesday's proceedings -- his spokesman said he was working on "city business" but would not elaborate. The mayor's nemesis, police whistle-blower attorney Mike Stefani, cut short his vacation in Maine to testify.

Bill Goodman, the City Council attorney who is playing the role of prosecutor at the hearing, got a boost from an unexpected source.

He called Ellen Ha, the city lawyer in charge of handling Freedom of Information Act requests for the city, who was asked about the side deal that Kilpatrick and city lawyers crafted last fall to hide the existence of the mayor's damaging text messages.

The city crafted a separate confidentiality agreement to hide the text messages after Free Press reporter Jim Schaefer filed a FOIA request in October -- two days after a deal was first reached -- for all documents relating to the controversial whistle-blower lawsuit involving Detroit cops.

Ha said she was informed by other city lawyers that the deal was not final and that the confidential agreement that kept the text messages private should have been released. She said she did not initially know it existed.

"I've seen settlement agreements with confidentiality provisions, and we've released them," Ha said, explaining they must be approved by the City Council. "It's deemed public record. It is subject to disclosure, and it must be provided to the public."

The city did not initially provide the confidential agreement to the Free Press, only turning it over when the paper sued for the records in court.

Asked about the city's initial failure to make that agreement public, Ha testified Wednesday that it was indeed unusual for the city to withhold a confidentiality agreement.

That could be a key element in the case, which hinges in part on whether Kilpatrick misled the City Council by failing to give it a copy of the confidentiality agreement attached to the whistle-blower settlements that called for burying the text messages in return for the $8.4-million taxpayer-funded payout.

Granholm started the proceedings at 9 a.m. sharp, sitting in a high-backed leather chair overlooking a hearing room where the state's gaming control board normally meets.

Goodman, the council lawyer, told Granholm that the different versions and various components of the city's settlement with the cops constituted "an incredible pattern of deception and concealment and nondisclosure."

Goodman also said in opening remarks that nothing less than the fate of the city hung on the governor's decision.

"These are not minor transgressions," he said. "They have brought the city of Detroit to a grinding halt."

"The mayor has often expressed his love for the city of Detroit and I've heard it, and I believe it is genuine and sincere and authentic and heart-rending. But to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, 'Men often kill the thing they love.' "

Kilpatrick attorney Sharon McPhail countered with a four-pronged attack, disputing that Kilpatrick settled the police suits to cover his own hide and disputed that he misled the council by failing to tell its members of the secret deal to hide his text messages.

Referring to a wide-ranging federal investigation of city officials stemming from a sludge-hauling contract, McPhail told Granholm: "We're here on petition of the City Council, half of whom, by the way, are awaiting indictment on far worse charges than they've proffered to you against the mayor."

As her opening remarks continued, McPhail praised Granholm's working relationship with the mayor on issues.

"For all of the talk on the federal level about welfare to work and moving people from dependency to self-sufficiency, it was not until Gov. Granholm and Mayor Kilpatrick joined forces that it meant anything," she said.

Addressing the council's assertion that it was Kilpatrick who approved the settlement with former cops Gary Brown, Harold Nelthrope and Walt Harris, McPhail argued that only the city's corporation counsel -- its top lawyer -- has the power to resolve a lawsuit.

"It was the City of Detroit that settled the Brown cases, not the mayor of Detroit," she said. She did not note that Corporation Counsel John Johnson Jr. is a mayoral appointee.

Finally, McPhail urged Granholm to resist calls for the mayor's ouster. If not for Kilpatrick, for the sake of all other elected officials who may someday be subject to the whims of a tyrannical governor.

"This is about future governors, who might be politically motivated, who will now have a blueprint for how to eliminate the strongest political forces in the state," McPhail said.

After lunch, testimony resumed when Stefani, who represented the cops who sued Kilpatrick and the city, took the witness stand.

He recounted what happened when he showed Sam McCargo, the mayor's attorney in the whistle-blower case, a motion he prepared seeking legal fees after two of the cops won a $6.5-million jury verdict last September.

The proposed motion included excerpts from the text messages that revealed the mayor and his then-chief of staff, Christine Beatty, had lied at trial when they denied a sexual affair.

He said McCargo responded: " 'Mike, I had no idea.' He looked shaken up."

Stefani said he told McCargo he planned to file the motion the next day.

"And he said, 'Would you hold off filing it and I'll be in contact with the mayor and see if he'd be amenable to a global settlement?' "

"Sure," Stefani told him.

I put the headline also in 2 separate threads.

Thursday, September 4, 2008
McPhail to quit, warns staffers not to destroy documents
David Josar / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The mayor's general counsel, Sharon McPhail, said she is preparing to resign in the next few days but has also sent out a memo to staffers warning them not to destroy any public documents.

"There have been rumors that there was destruction of documents," McPhail said. "I'm making sure that doesn't happen."

She said she has just issued a policy memo to city staff outlining what are public documents.

McPhail has not yet met with the mayor since he announced his resignation. "I feel bad for him," she said.

McPhail, who had once been a City Council member and adversary of Kilpatrick, said she is preparing her own resignation letter.

She is trying to determine what would be the best time to submit it because she is also trying to help with the transition to Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr., who will become interim mayor.

You can reach David Josar at(313) 222-2073 or djosar@detnews.com

Just like dominoes falling!

Pride goeth before a fall!

I can't believe he actually resigned, I thought this would drag on forever...

ahhhh haaaa, I just heard on the news that if he was found guilty he could face 3 - 15 years, so that's why he pled guilty....

Kwame will be Mayor of Detroit again

If I remember correctly, felons can't vote either.

Kwame will be able to vote for his mommy

No one cares, he is gone lets leave it at that. Stop making such a big deal about it.

(oh and just so I don't come off rude, I wasn't talking to anyone in particular, just like the news stations for making a huge deal out of it. TURN ON THE GIANTS!)

mrsrabelo wrote:

No one cares, he is gone lets leave it at that. Stop making such a big deal about it.

(oh and just so I don't come off rude, I wasn't talking to anyone in particular, just like the news stations for making a huge deal out of it. TURN ON THE GIANTS!)

Except the idiots on the other board

Fuck Channel 4


Show Football

OFF TOPIC:

Why is resigns (as in quits) and resigns (as in signs again) spelled the same but mean virtually opposite things?

In any case, I think Kenny Rogers will resign after this year. (I can't be wrong!).

Even more unbelievable is that that buffoon was allowed to make a speech tonight. NPR carried it. He actually lambasted Granholm, saying she wasn't paying attention to real issues....OMG this piece of crap of a human being is BEYOND belief....

laprimamirala wrote:

Even more unbelievable is that that buffoon was allowed to make a speech tonight. NPR carried it. He actually lambasted Granholm, saying she wasn't paying attention to real issues....OMG this piece of crap of a human being is BEYOND belief....

Football on

13 -0 Giants

Fuck Kwame

gs78 wrote:

Kwame will be able to vote for his mommy

In his head!

Lying sack of shit!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

gs78 wrote:

Kwame will be able to vote for his mommy

In his head!

That is ok, he should have an interesting experience in jail!

He is a convicted felon! He has NO MORE rights!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

That is ok, he should have an interesting experience in jail!

I hope he experiences jail FULLY because that is what he has done to Detriot for the last 6 years and has the GALL to say he's the victim!