10/28/2008
http://freep.com/article/20081028/NEWS01/81028057
One word describes this guy. Arrogant. He smiled and smirked all the way through the sentencing. The judge even called him out on it during the sentencing.
He was even so bold as to a few days ago talk the manager's at the Detroit Club into letting him have a private room for a meeting with 3 other people. Once the meeting was over, he skipped on his bill and told them to charge it to the city, even though he had been kicked out of office almost a month earlier.
Other Metro-Detroiters who know more about the story, please feel free to post or pm me and I will add it to this OP.
Basically, Detroits mayor purjured himself on the stand and won't step down. He's done everything a mayor can possibly do to ruin a city.
First, he is in a long court battle over firing 2 police officers who blew the whistle on the mayor about absuing his priviledges and having extra-marital affairs while using city money and time.
Here is a link to the articles to keep you up to date :
Whistle Blower Suit
So he loses that court battle and is told to award the 2 fired cops over 8 million dollars.
Turns out, Kwame purjured himself while on the stand and was busted in a text message scandal proving he was having a sexual relationship with one of his top aides, who later resigned.
So what does our glorious mayor do? Take one right out of the Clinton playbook. Denies, denies, denies until he is completely busted. Then fakes emotion to invoke sympathy and hope people feel bad enough for him to let it go.
Absolutely pathetic! This whole scandal embodies everything that is wrong with Detroit.
Here are links to the text message scandal.
Text Message Scandal
And links to the actual text messages.
Text Messages
02/02/08
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs...80202/NEWS01/802020334
03/18/08
Detroit City Council votes 7-1 to ask Detroit Mayor to Resign!
http://freep.com/article/20081028/NEWS01/81028057
One word describes this guy. Arrogant. He smiled and smirked all the way through the sentencing. The judge even called him out on it during the sentencing.
He was even so bold as to a few days ago talk the manager's at the Detroit Club into letting him have a private room for a meeting with 3 other people. Once the meeting was over, he skipped on his bill and told them to charge it to the city, even though he had been kicked out of office almost a month earlier.
Other Metro-Detroiters who know more about the story, please feel free to post or pm me and I will add it to this OP.
Basically, Detroits mayor purjured himself on the stand and won't step down. He's done everything a mayor can possibly do to ruin a city.
First, he is in a long court battle over firing 2 police officers who blew the whistle on the mayor about absuing his priviledges and having extra-marital affairs while using city money and time.
Here is a link to the articles to keep you up to date :
Whistle Blower Suit
So he loses that court battle and is told to award the 2 fired cops over 8 million dollars.
Turns out, Kwame purjured himself while on the stand and was busted in a text message scandal proving he was having a sexual relationship with one of his top aides, who later resigned.
So what does our glorious mayor do? Take one right out of the Clinton playbook. Denies, denies, denies until he is completely busted. Then fakes emotion to invoke sympathy and hope people feel bad enough for him to let it go.
Absolutely pathetic! This whole scandal embodies everything that is wrong with Detroit.
Here are links to the text message scandal.
Text Message Scandal
And links to the actual text messages.
Text Messages
02/02/08
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs...80202/NEWS01/802020334
Messages sought in stripper's death
An attorney representing the son of a slain stripper known as Strawberry is seeking text messages from 34 people, including Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, key members of his security team and the city's police chief.
Attorney Norman Yatooma filed a motion Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit seeking preservation and copies of incoming and outgoing text messages and calls, originating from any Detroit SkyTel messaging device for the 34 people.
Among those listed: Kilpatrick, his bodyguards Mike Martin and Loronzo Jones, former chief of staff Christine Beatty, former Police Chief Jerry Oliver, Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings and former Police Lt. Alvin Bowman, who investigated the shooting death of Tamara Greene.
Greene danced at strip clubs under the name Strawberry.
Yatooma is representing Greene's 14-year-old son, Jonathan Bond, in a federal lawsuit alleging that police and city officials covered up her April 30, 2003, death.
Greene was gunned down at 3:40 a.m. in a car that she was parking at Roselawn and West Outer Drive. The drive-by shooting remains unsolved.
Bowman charged in a lawsuit that city officials transferred him out of the homicide division because he was investigating what happened to Greene, who was rumored to have performed at an alleged Manoogian Mansion party in fall 2002. Bowman left the department citing stress leave.
State Attorney General Mike Cox, whose office investigated the alleged party, dismissed the rumors as an urban legend. Michigan State Police officials also said they found no evidence of wrongdoing, although some officers testified during Bowman's trial that Cox impeded their investigation by denying them subpoenas.
A Wayne County Circuit Court jury awarded Bowman $200,000 after a trial that ended Oct. 21, 2005.
In his filing Friday, Yatooma also asked for copies of SkyTel contracts with the city dating back to Jan. 1, 2002.
This week, Yatooma subpoenaed the Free Press to produce text messaging records it obtained during an investigation into possible perjury involving Kilpatrick and Beatty. It is opposing the subpoena.
City of Detroit spokesman James Canning could not be reached for comment Friday
03/18/08
Detroit City Council votes 7-1 to ask Detroit Mayor to Resign!
The Detroit City Council called on Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to resign Tuesday. In a 7-1 vote, the council's nonbinding resolution is a direct statement to the mayor that the council has no trust in his leadership in light of the text-messaging scandal surrounding his administration.
Council member Monica Conyers was the lone vote against the resolution and council member Martha Reeves called in sick.
The mayor's office responded about a half-hour after the resolution was passed and accused "certain members" of the council of "playing judge and jury in the court of public opinion."
The statement said that while the council is free to pass nonbinding resolutions, "Mayor Kilpatrick has continued to stay focused on advancing bold initiatives such as his economic stimulus package." Later in the day, the mayor gave a brief news conference where he shrugged off the vote, saying it was a waste of the council's time because it doesn't have any teeth, and he is not going anywhere. "We're here talking about career development, people who need jobs, record number of foreclosures ? and you take a whole day to sit and discuss an issue like this, my reaction is just, OK now since it's over, it has no effect, it's not binding, let's get back to work," Kilpatrick said.
Before the vote, the council heard statements from members of the public, for and against the mayor.
"Our mayor has done some great things for the city of Detroit," said Kilpatrick supporter Lorenzo Houston. "When you look at the media, for the most part, the picture that they draw looks very ugly. But the bottom line is that the media, they did not elect the mayor. The city of Detroit ? and I've been in Detroit all of my life ? we elected this mayor." Delores Bennett, however, had a different view. "The mayor has disgraced us," Bennett said. "He has lied to this council. I don't know what Kym Worthy's going to do. She's going to decide if it's perjury. But I know a lie when I hear a lie."
The vote had been delayed more than two weeks ago because the majority of the council wanted to wait for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy's decision on whether Kilpatrick will face perjury charges for his testimony in a whistle-blower lawsuit. "If you tie it too much to what the prosecutor's timetable is, then should she delay again for another reason. ? You are really being held hostage to somebody else's process," Council President Ken Cockrell told Local 4.
Worthy revealed her decision during taping for Sunday's edition of "Flashpoint" with Devin Scillian that her team is wrapping up its review and drawing up papers but would not reveal details.
Some council members said they are eager to hear Worthy's decision, so they can carry on with city business.
"I was glad because I think the sooner the prosecutor was able to make known her decision, the sooner we can get past this situation," Councilwoman Sheila Cockrell told Local 4 on Monday.
Only three members --Jo Ann Watson, Brenda Jones and Kwame Kenyatta-- voted yes at the last resignation vote.
The council needs five votes in total for the resignation to pass. Martha Reeves voted for the delay, but in a committee meeting Monday she said she's ready to vote for Kilpatrick's resignation.
"Since I have had a chance to look at it. ? I would be in agreement with it," she said. The resignation resolution, drawn by council members, cites reasons why Kilpatrick should resign, which include a Wayne County jury's finding in September that Kilpatrick violated state whistle-blower protection law when he disciplined police officers looking into reports of misconduct in the mayor's office, including sexual improprieties.
Kilpatrick's office has already denounced the resolution as meaningless and non-binding. "If the resolution passes, it does not mean the mayor has to clean out his desk tomorrow afternoon," said Cockrell. "It doesn't have the force of law or the weight of law. However, I think the intention really is to send a strong message to the mayor about his conduct in this whole situation." Councilwoman Cockrell said the State of the City message, where Kilpatrick blamed his problems on race and scolded Council President Ken Cockrell, may have an impact on her vote. Worthy told Local 4's Devin Scillian her decision is made but she cannot divulge the details because there is still some paperwork that needs to be done, but she said, "We're ready to go." The prosecutor did not elaborate on the paperwork that has to be prepared or how much time it will take. Last week, she said she would make an announcement the week of March 24.
Local 4 legal analyst Mitch Ribitwer said he interpreted Worthy's comments as negative for Kilpatrick and charges are likely going to be filed against him. Ribitwer told Local 4 he thinks Kilpatrick will face charges because Worthy said she needs time to prepare paperwork, and if she wasn't going to charge him, all she would have to do is make an announcement.