Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick /Courtesy Photo
By Dorothy Rowley
AFRO Staff Writer
(September 10, 2008) - Ousted Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick vowed to make a comeback following his forced resignation surrounding a sex and perjury scandal. In a plea deal, Kilpatrick will serve four months in jail and pay back $1 million to the city – legal fees resulting from $8.4 million the city paid to settle whistle-blower lawsuits.
“Sometimes standing strong means stepping down.”
Still defiant after offering guilty pleas in the case that destabilized Detroit’s City Hall politics for seven months, Kilpatrick said city officials and Michigan’s governor should work as hard continuing the city’s accomplishments as they worked to boot him out of office.
“Sometimes standing strong means stepping down,” Kilpatrick said, adding that his ouster has actually “set me up for a comeback.”
He added that the city is in much better shape than he found it seven years ago.
“We, in Detroit, have done some amazing things together,” said the 38-year-old mayor who was given 14 days to vacate his post.
Kilpatrick, the son of Michigan Cong. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, is the youngest person to ever be elected mayor in Detroit. As a result of his convictions, he will be ineligible to run for public office for five years.
In March, Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, were charged with perjury, misconduct and obstruction of justice after the Detroit Free Press published the text messages revealing Kilpatrick’s romantic dalliances with Beatty.
Although Detroit residents appeared to have mixed emotions over his innocence, it was Kilpatrick’s steadfast refusal to relinquish his post as mayor that eventually catapulted the country’s 11th largest city into a state of political chaos.
However, the mayor’s problems reportedly began back in 2002, following a rumored wild party that took place at the city-owned Manoogian Mansion, where Kilpatrick and his family lived.
Reports swirled around the death of a 27-year-old self-acclaimed exotic dancer named Tamara Greene who was found shot to death inside her car in April 2003. Rumors had it that she had danced at the mansion party and was killed to keep from talking to police. A month later, Detroit Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown was allegedly fired by Kilpatrick for conducting unauthorized investigations.
In addition to the perjury and obstruction of justice charges, Kilpatrick’s latest troubles had also involved a trip to Canada he made in July without notifying authorities.
A judge ruled the trip was in violation of his bond related to the perjury case. Kilpatrick was jailed for one day in August then ordered back to court over a visit to his sister, who was considered a witness in Kilpatrick’s assault case involving two officers. He was cleared of those charges.
Marvin “Doc” Cheatham, Baltimore branch NAACP president, said he was saddened by the chain of events that led to Kilpatrick’s downfall.
"ere you have this bright, intelligent, young African-American leader who quickly reached a pinnacle of success and was admired by people all across the country,” said Cheatham. “It’s discouraging. You can’t do wrong [and lie about it],” he said. “But I’m hoping that other young Blacks won’t lose the faith and vision that they can bring to this country as leaders.” Ceatham added that he believes Kilpatrick lacked mentorship in his quick ascension to the top.
As for Kilpatrick weathering this controversy to make a comeback, some experts -- noting that former President Bill Clinton survived a sex scandal and Marion Barry was re-elected mayor of the District of Columbia following a drug conviction and then went on to become a City Councilman -- say it is possible.
According to recently published comments by Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor, Kilpatrick's situation may be different from Barry's because Barry was able to argue entrapment by federal officials. In addition, he never ran for national office. Because he was already in his second and final term as president, Clinton wasn’t eligible for re-election.
"The people of Detroit may want to continue their relationship with Mayor Kilpatrick, but it's doubtful that any national constituency would even want to start a relationship with him,” Turley said.
“In D.C. we have had pretty good experience giving our mayor a second chance, so it would be hard for me not to say Kilpatrick wouldn’t deserve a comeback,” said Jeff Smith, executive director of the nonprofit D.C .Voice which advocates public policy surrounding education issues in the District.
“Mayors bounce back from more damaging scenarios than Kilpatrick’s.” Smith said while he didn’t know what kind of mentoring, if any, Kilpatrick had as a young politician, his problem appeared to hinge more on poor judgment.
Kilpatrick will be formally sentenced on Oct. 28. City Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. will succeed Kilpatrick until a special election is held to replace the fallen mayor.