The Hip Hop Mayor Of Detroit

[Memphis Slim]

DETROIT — Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was charged with perjury and other offenses Monday — and got a stern lecture about the importance of telling the truth — after a trove of raunchy text messages contradicted his sworn denials of an affair with his chief aide.
The 37-year-old "Hip-Hop Mayor" who brought youth and vitality to the job in this struggling city of 900,000 could get up to 15 years in prison for perjury alone and would be automatically expelled from office if convicted.
Ignoring mounting demands that he step down, Kilpatrick said: "I look forward to complete exoneration once all the facts have been brought forth. I will remain focused on moving this city forward."
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy brought charges of perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct against the popular but polarizing mayor. In announcing the charges, she delivered something of a civics lesson on the importance of telling the truth under oath.
"Some have suggested that the issues in this case are personal or private," said Worthy, a Democrat like the mayor. "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."
She added: "This case is about as far from being a private matter as one can get."
Kilpatrick's former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, 37, who also denied under oath that she and Kilpatrick had an intimate relationship in 2002 and 2003, was charged with many of the same offenses. A call to her lawyer was not immediately returned.
Both the mayor and Beatty turned themselves in for booking in the afternoon. No trial date has been set.
The mayor's lawyer, Dan Webb, said forcing Kilpatrick to resign now would punish him before he has had his day in court.
The charges could be the beginning of the end of Kilpatrick's six-year career as the youngest man elected mayor of Detroit, one of America's largest and most troubled cities, with deeply entrenched poverty made worse by the downturn in the auto industry.
Worthy began her investigation in late January, the day after the Detroit Free Press published excerpts from 14,000 text messages that were sent or received in 2002-03 from Beatty's city-issued pager.
The messages called into question testimony Kilpatrick and Beatty gave last August in a lawsuit filed by two police officers who said they were fired for investigating claims that the mayor used his security unit to cover up extramarital affairs.

In court, Kilpatrick and Beatty strongly 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 eventually agreed to pay $8.4 million to the two officers and a third former officer. Some of the charges brought against the mayor on Monday accuse him of agreeing to the settlement in an effort to keep the text messages from becoming public.
"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!"
On Oct. 16, 2002, Kilpatrick wrote: "I've been dreaming all day about having you all to myself for 3 days. Relaxing, laughing, talking, sleeping and making love."
All of the charges against the mayor are felonies. Under the city charter, a felony conviction would mean the mayor's immediate expulsion.
In announcing the charges, Worthy delivered a 14-minute lecture on the oath that all the witnesses take, and how the criminal justice system relies on people to tell the truth. "Even children understand that lying is wrong," she said.
"If a witness lies, innocent people can go to jail or prison, people can literally get away with murder, civil litigants who deserve money may not get it or may get money they don't deserve," she said. "And lying cannot be tolerated even if a judge or jury sees through it."
The City Council asked Kilpatrick to step down last week, but he refused, and the council has no authority to remove him in the meantime.
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, has the power to remove local officials for misconduct, but spokeswoman Liz Boyd said Granholm believes "it's important the legal process be allowed to work," and doesn't plan to get involved at this point.
Council President Ken Cockrel Jr., who was among those who called on Kilpatrick to resign last week, would succeed him if he left office. "On a personal level, certainly it's a tragedy for him, although one could argue that he set himself up for it. The moves he made led to this," Cockrel said.
The mayor's attorney said he will ask a judge to prevent the text messages from being admitted as evidence. Federal law prohibits the text messages from being produced by the city's communications provider, SkyTel, Webb said.
"I am as certain as I stand here that the initial production of those text messages in fact were illegal under the law," Webb said. Webb is a former federal prosecutor who was the chief defense attorney in the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, who is now in prison.
Controversy has surrounded Kilpatrick since his 2001 election. Embraced by many Detroit residents for his boldness and confidence, Kilpatrick, then 31, embodied the new black politician and wore a diamond stud earring that helped earn him the unofficial title as the "Hip-Hop Mayor." His mother is Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich.
During his first four years, he caused a furor over his use of his city-issued credit card for expensive travel, the city's lease of a luxury Lincoln Navigator for his wife and unsubstantiated allegations of a wild party involving his security team and strippers at the mayor's mansion.
At the start of his second term, Kilpatrick vowed to not make the same mistakes and announced a residential redevelopment along Detroit's dormant riverfront, hosted a Super Bowl that shone a light on the city's renewal efforts and initiated other improvements. He had been expected to seek a third term in 2009.
"What we are witnessing is the 21st-century rerun of a classic Greek tragedy: fallen heroes, lost opportunities, unfulfilled promise," said Republican L. Brooks Patterson, county executive in neighboring Oakland County.

[redfirebird2008]

15 years in prison? LOL, see ya Kwame!

[Kelly]

Hmmmm....I don't know.....we'll see.......perjury is tricky business in court....wording of the questions, etc...is everything...

Another thing to look at is......will this be the case that court uses to send a message to elected officials........"you are not above the law".....could very well be that case...

[Damiean Dark]

If its true he should just step down why do politicians consist on trying to hang on to see if they can ride out these controversys? spritzser, Larry Craig ect ec.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Kel

Hmmmm....I don't know.....we'll see.......perjury is tricky business in court....wording of the questions, etc...is everything...

Another thing to look at is......will this be the case that court uses to send a message to elected officials........"you are not above the law".....could very well be that case...

I'm guessing that will be Spitzer.

[SurfDUI]

First you have to take the Hip-Hop out of this. This fat fkr is on his best day Mayor Quimby. Unless it's in a generational context, he is no more Hip-Hop than me. Hip-hop is not a set of values, it's entertainment. This biatch here is sinking an already down city for his own weak ass gains. He fired a couple of brothas, Cops even- for not keeping his whore game straight on the city's clock.

He is a dbag of the highest degree, when the local news media is askin you to beat it, somethin needs to be done. Purjury on top of all of that.

Not to mention the mis appropriation of his cultural pride-F this stud.

[Memphis Slim]

Originally Posted by SurfDUI

First you have to take the Hip-Hop out of this. This fat fkr is on his best day Mayor Quimby. Unless it's in a generational context, he is no more Hip-Hop than me. Hip-hop is not a set of values, it's entertainment. This biatch here is sinking an already down city for his own weak ass gains. He fired a couple of brothas, Cops even- for not keeping his whore game straight on the city's clock.

He is a dbag of the highest degree, when the local news media is askin you to beat it, somethin needs to be done. Purjury on top of all of that.

Not to mention the mis appropriation of his cultural pride-F this stud.

And yet, he kept getting re-elected. Black folks just kept putting him back in office because he's black and a Democrat. Same thing happening in Memphis with Willie Harrington or Julia Carson in Indy before she died. None of them had done anything of note for their constituents. they just blindly re-elect these people.

[rdh007]

I don't think they had an election before this stuff got as much traction as it has. In fairness to the good people of the D.

[Lightning Strykez!]

Originally Posted by rdh007

I don't think they had an election before this stuff got as much traction as it has. In fairness to the good people of the D.

That is correct. Memphis, you're off base baby.

And why is that black polititians this week seem to be having major problems with the media?

[SurfDUI]

Originally Posted by Lightning Strykez!

And why is that black polititians this week seem to be having major problems with the media?

Power corupts-were just now catching up w/ the rest of them.

[The Senator]

Originally Posted by Lightning Strykez!

That is correct. Memphis, you're off base baby.

And why is that black polititians this week seem to be having major problems with the media?

Well, it seems to alternate. Spitzer and Ferraro got their own week. Wright and Kilpatrick get a week to themselves. At least the media is an equal opportunity scandal maker.

BTW... I don't know much about Kilpatrick... maybe some of you Detroiters (?) can help me out... wasn't he considered a horrible mayor before this erupted? I read an article in Time a few weeks back which ranked the best and worst mayors in the country, and I think Kilpatrick was ranked as the worst.

[Memphis Slim]

Originally Posted by Lightning Strykez!

That is correct. Memphis, you're off base baby.

And why is that black polititians this week seem to be having major problems with the media?

How am I off base? Explain Marian Berry being re-elected over and over again.......even after the crack????

[The Senator]

The idea that African American politicians have a monopoly in certain cities isn't too far off base. Washington, DC has never had a white mayor since the district was granted a mayoral office in the 1970s. While I think it's an extreme generalization to say that African Americans only elect these guys because of their race, I think race is a major factor into who votes for whom in many cities.

[Motown Marvel]

kwame is a f**king douchebag who really needs to resign. but the guy is such an arrogant c0ck that he just brushes it off like "whats the big deal? we need to move on and quit this racist media lynch mob!"

Originally Posted by Memphis Slim

And yet, he kept getting re-elected. Black folks just kept putting him back in office because he's black and a Democrat. Same thing happening in Memphis with Willie Harrington or Julia Carson in Indy before she died. None of them had done anything of note for their constituents. they just blindly re-elect these people.

err, last election there were numerous black democrats running for mayor.

Originally Posted by jmanspice

BTW... I don't know much about Kilpatrick... maybe some of you Detroiters (?) can help me out... wasn't he considered a horrible mayor before this erupted? I read an article in Time a few weeks back which ranked the best and worst mayors in the country, and I think Kilpatrick was ranked as the worst.

he's been pretty hit and miss, but he talks very big, dangles all this hope and ideas in front of people. so that gets him by.

[Super_Ludacris]

lol@ people trying to correlate his love for Hip Hop music with his ****-ups in office.

It aint like Kid-Capri and Black Milk are in his cabinet telling him to make moves lol

[jaguarr]

Originally Posted by Super_Ludacris

lol@ people trying to correlate his love for Hip Hop music with his ****-ups in office.

It aint like Kid-Capri and Black Milk are in his cabinet telling him to make moves lol

He might be a smoother playa if he did.

jag

[Mr Sparkle]

if the Wu Tang clan were his financial advisers he could've diversified his bonds.

[jaguarr]

Originally Posted by Mr Sparkle

if the Wu Tang clan were his financial advisers he could've diversified his bonds.

From the sounds of it, 2 Live Crew were the ones giving him advice.

jag

[Lightning Strykez!]

Originally Posted by Super_Ludacris

lol@ people trying to correlate his love for Hip Hop music with his ****-ups in office.

It aint like Kid-Capri and Black Milk are in his cabinet telling him to make moves lol

Thank you.

They're only making this correlation because he looks like a remixed Biggie Smalls.

[Lightning Strykez!]

This just in: This fool has the nerve to plead "not guilty."

His arrogance is deafening.

[Motown Marvel]

Originally Posted by Lightning Strykez!

This just in: This fool has the nerve to plead "not guilty."

His arrogance is deafening.

well, its and obvious and not a bad move on his part. everyone wants him to resign, so its now a bargaining chip for him. like, you drop the charges, and i'll resign.

[Super_Ludacris]

I remember seeing Kwame a few years back thinking "man this dude is a politician who can speak to me" but he is aloof
The "Hip Hop"/inner city community dont give a **** about him cause he aint really making the moves he promised and regular Detroit people dont care about him either.

and Oh yeah, this nicca was in Cleveland last year during the ECF high fiving Lebron while the Pistons were getting styled on. Oh so its like that? Take your ass to Ohio then.

[SentinelMind]

Actually, I think the fact that he is known as the "Hip-Hop" mayor should have allowed everyone in this thread to have predicted these outcomes years ago.....

[SentinelMind]

Originally Posted by SurfDUI

First you have to take the Hip-Hop out of this. This fat fkr is on his best day Mayor Quimby. Unless it's in a generational context, he is no more Hip-Hop than me. Hip-hop is not a set of values, it's entertainment. This biatch here is sinking an already down city for his own weak ass gains. He fired a couple of brothas, Cops even- for not keeping his whore game straight on the city's clock.

He is a dbag of the highest degree, when the local news media is askin you to beat it, somethin needs to be done. Purjury on top of all of that.

Not to mention the mis appropriation of his cultural pride-F this stud.

No, I think Hip-Hop has a value-system. Some of them include instant gratification, not planning ahead, being anti-establishment, lazy, what-about-me mentality, mistreating the opposite gender, blaming the "man" while your right hand is stuck in the cookie jar....so he embodies these values and he has produced results we should have all expected.

[SurfDUI]

Originally Posted by SentinelMind

No, I think Hip-Hop has a value-system. Some of them include instant gratification, not planning ahead, being anti-establishment, lazy, what-about-me mentality, mistreating the opposite gender, blaming the "man" while your right hand is stuck in the cookie jar....so he embodies these values and he has produced results we should have all expected.

That's like holding negatives about the White Stripes because of what Manson says or does.

I know that Hip-Hop gets more blame for actions that are wholly American.

If you were born in the '70's or '80's your going to be put in the Hip Hop generation regardless of what good are bad behavior you participate in.

IF people want to call him the "Young Jezzy" Mayor then fine, don't weigh down the culture w/ the crap that was raised around it.