‘Private Profit Machine’: Ex-Detroit Mayor Convicted Of Massive Fraud
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Β (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images).
DETROIT (TheBlaze/AP) — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a Democrat, was convicted Monday of corruption charges, ensuring a return to prison for a man once among the nation’s youngest big-city leaders.
Jurors convicted Kilpatrick of a raft of crimes, including racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum punishment of 20 years behind bars. He was portrayed during a five-month trial as an unscrupulous politician who took bribes, rigged contracts and lived far beyond his means while in office until fall 2008.
Kilpatrick wore a surprised, puzzled look at times as U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds read the jury’s verdict: Guilty of 24 charges, not guilty on three, and no consensus on three more. Kilpatrick declined to speak to reporters as he left the courthouse.
Prosecutors said Kilpatrick ran a “private profit machine” out of Detroit’s City Hall. The government presented evidence to show he got a share of the spoils after ensuring that Bobby Ferguson’s excavating company was awarded millions in work from the water department.
Business owners said they were forced to hire Ferguson as a subcontractor or risk losing city contracts. Separately, fundraiser Emma Bell said she gave Kilpatrick more than $200,000 as his personal cut of political donations, pulling cash from her bra during private meetings. A high-ranking aide, Derrick Miller, told jurors that he often was the middle man, passing bribes from others.
Internal Revenue Service agents said Kilpatrick spent $840,000 beyond his mayoral salary.
Ferguson, Kilpatrick’s pal, was also convicted of racketeering conspiracy. The jury could not reach a verdict on the same charge for Kilpatrick’s father, Bernard Kilpatrick, but convicted him of submitting a false tax return.
The judge said the jury finished its work Friday but wanted to go home for the weekend before announcing the results Monday.
Kwame Kilpatrick (C) attends a hearing in 36th District Court to determine his travel restrictions April 11, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. (Getty Images.)
“They said they wanted to sleep on it. … I had a sense of what the verdict was,” Edmunds told reporters.
Kwame Kilpatrick, who now lives near Dallas, declined to testify. He has long denied any wrongdoing, and defense attorney James Thomas told jurors that his client often was showered with cash gifts from city workers and political supporters during holidays and birthdays.
The government said Kilpatrick abused the Civic Fund, a nonprofit fund he created to help distressed Detroit residents. There was evidence that it was used for yoga lessons, camps for his kids, golf clubs and travel.
“The scale of corruption was breathtaking,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Chutkow said in a closing argument on Feb. 15. “We cannot turn away and ignore the corruption that occurred in this city. It is time for the former mayor and his accomplices to be held accountable for their crimes – it is past time.”
The current mayor, Dave Bing, said the verdict would allow the city to move on from “this negative chapter in Detroit’s history.”
It’s “time for all of us to move forward with a renewed commitment to transparency and high ethical standards in our city government,” Bing said in a statement.
Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is taken into custody after appearing in Wayne County Circuit Court for his sentencing October 28, 2008 in Detroit Michigan. (Getty Images)
Kilpatrick, 42, was elected in 2001 at age 31. He resigned in 2008 and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in a different scandal involving sexually explicit text messages and an extramarital affair with his chief of staff.
The Democrat spent 14 months in prison for violating probation in that case after a judge said he failed to report assets that could be put toward his $1 million restitution to Detroit.
Voters booted his mother, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, from Congress in 2010, partly because of a negative perception of her due to her son’s troubles.
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Comments (143)
fiveft15
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:56pmIf obummer had a son,he would like kwame and be so proud except for the fact he got caught!That’s what obumbler is doing to us right now!Stealing us blind while he runs the country into the gutter!
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iwontell
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 6:00pmGlad I left Detroit years ago when they first elected a “CROOK”, anybody remember Coleman?
Wonder now how come they are broke, half size of the 60′s and anybody with sense gave up and left town. Is it called POLITICS as usual – for 40 years. OH well, it’s too late to “fix” things I’d say. Let them all farm the vacant land, eventually it will be like it was in the 1850′s when Grandad had a profitable farm in the area/
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The-Monk
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 8:02pmLooks like we lost another Blaze troll…. LOL
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TheEDGE
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 8:31pmKwamee keepin’ it real. Enjoy your cage, homey!
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The_Jerk
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 8:47pmThird World cultures produce Third World results.
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OhSuzieQ
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 9:15amSho nuff!!!
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pbrenda51
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 9:18amsay it ain’t so!!!!! a Democrat? so hard to believe!!
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RedManBlueState
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 3:19pm@iwontell
I remember Coleman!! Watchutalkinbout IWONTELL?
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GoodStuff
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:51pmBecause he’s a Democrat, the media will bury this story. If he was a Republican, this would be non-stop news the rest of the week.
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RIDEMODELS
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 5:48pmHe would never have been a Republican…..This type of stuff never happened to Republicans like George Bush because GWB was a man of character…..There are a lot of Dimocraps that are characters, but none WITH character…..They are all void of any God or Soul.
Hope he Rots……
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Lloyd Drako
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 8:18pmI am an ambassador from the world outside. You are wrong about the media. MSNBC has the story. The Huffington Post has it. The New York Times has it. It hasn’t yet appeared on the Communist Party’s website, but I’ll let you know if it does.
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cous1933
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 9:34pmI predict that he will do a couple of years getting exceptional privileges in prison, he will then be released and be re-elected as Detroit Mayor.
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The-Monk
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:48pmI see a Presidential pardon in his future….
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RIDEMODELS
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 5:56pmYep……Why is he a good man and I am a hard working heathen…..according to the Liberals and Katie Kurik…..How is that??
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The-Monk
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 6:28pmHi RIDEMODELS,
CAEROGAP…. that’s how. : (
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ones-own-truth-and-ideals
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 6:52pmyhea that will probaly happen…
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spirited
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 6:53pmHello Monk
When will PAGOREAC be revealed?
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The-Monk
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 7:53pmHi Spirited,
Maybe a week or two. It’s not easy to put in writing.
It’s better in a dialog.
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Locked
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:47pmOne crooked Democrat down; let’s bring out the next one! And two! And million!
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mrunner
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 5:04pmThey are knocking em down a bit in the “D”. The media kept it pretty quiet, but Monica Conyers (Representative John Conyers (D) Detroit wife) spent some time in hoosegow recently for similar crap. You remember Conyers? “Read the bill? Why would I read the bill?” he asked in all sincerity…
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FeliciaJewel
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 5:15pmHoping for the day I drive up 75 and see farmland!!! Will take years to get the rotten apples out of that bushel. It helps when the people you govern do not pay attention.
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RIDEMODELS
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 6:27pmOne by one……MSLSD will never put this out…..The only real News oulet is The Blaze…….I get more and more convinced of this every day…..The president loves women, because his women slaves will Lick his Boots…The End.
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TEIN
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:44pmSay it isn’t so!!! What?? Is Detroit moving from βthis negative chapter in Detroitβs history.β to the next??
When things are going to h377….just thank a Libby/Progressive…..
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Zeon49
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:44pmMah baby Kwamee ditin do nuffin!!
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pitboss711
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:50pmLOL Dey nebba doo!
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Fubared
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 5:02pmDats all he do.
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MN NICE
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 5:28pmJust a lowly mayor… Just think of the corruption on the state and fed levels…
Oh Lawdy, what is we gonna do?!?
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shorelineliz
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:40pm$840,000? dang! that’s a big chunk of change for bitches, ho’s, blunts, 40s, and chicken wings. I mean: personal secretary, mayoral staff, cigars for visiting dignitaries, alcohol for fundraising dinners, and the mayor’s lunch every day.
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RIDEMODELS
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 5:55pmWatched something on the News of a young teen killed in a car wreck, her friend crying over the incident had a hat on her head, the hat read Bugatti Mack, me and my friend looked him up…..His famous song is….Wa Chu No Bout Dat……and that is our teenage youth, unfortunately Katie on daytime have got women in this country believing that becoming a single mother CEO is more important than checking to see who your children listen to…..Katie Kurik I ask you since you are not a single mother and you are married…….Wa Chu No Bout Dat..??
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shorthanded12
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:39pmContinue the trend for Mayors of Chicago, Boston, Los Angelas, Cleveland, Seattle, San Francisco, D.C. , and so on, hell half the nanny state money can be stopped if they did that. Wishful thinking on my part…LOL
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whatthecrazy
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:38pmHow about this,it’s only news if you find a democrat to be telling the truth or doing the job he/she was hired to do.Never mind we would have nobody to crack on.
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chips1
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:38pmIf Emma Bell had $200,000 in her bre, can you imagine how much Shiela Jackson Lee totes around? She could balance the budget.
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RIDEMODELS
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 6:32pmYou will never know how much she has, because Obama loves women who bow to him and Lick his Boots…….Obumble loves his liberal female Boot Lickers.
MSLSD will never ever be The Blaze…….Only the stupid believe MSLSD……Thats why all the sports are on FOX..!!!!
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Ceefour
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:37pmLets see…….Hes black….hes a democrat……he HAD a position of power…….do you think there may be some kind of pattern here???????
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shorelineliz
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:37pmMaybe Kilpatrick and Jesse Jackson Jr can compare notes in prison.
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shorthanded12
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:43pmDon’t forget Mayor Blago
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shorthanded12
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:45pmooooops GOV Blago
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chips1
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 5:06pmYou can call him by his first name, #4163859.
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shorelineliz
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:35pmHe seemed like such a nice black man. the cops and prosecutor must have all been GOP, white, racist, homophobe bigoted, haters!
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whatthecrazy
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:39pmlol agree.
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ones-own-truth-and-ideals
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 6:57pmmust’ve been because there no other explaination for it than that right?
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Excomunicatedmarine
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:34pmDemoncrat what did you expect? I guess he didn’t share it w/ DNC huh ?
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lefty5005
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:33pmShows blacks have no character and no integrity and no shame. He didn’t even do a decent job of trying to cover it up. Blacks think because the POTUS is part black they have “immunity.” Obama gwoin to pay my motage and pays fo my gas too. I gots me a Obama phone, I gots me 5 Obama phones and I votes two times fo Obama ats the poling place. I gots me a foty two inch TV with my EBT card, n….g…a…s gets what they wants now.
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whatthecrazy
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:44pmKeep that up and i ain’t playin witch you no mo.:):)
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ones-own-truth-and-ideals
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 7:04pmdon’t throw all blacks in with the rest of thease demo-rats.
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Lloyd Drako
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 8:12pmLefty: Don’t rant, think and assess. Kilpatrick was corrupt long before most Americans had even heard of Obama. Some of the jurors who convicted Kilpatrick were black. In the final reckoning, most of the people Kilpatrick robbed were also black.
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bankerpapaw
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:33pmWell, that’s Detroit for ya. Whadda ya expect?
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Whitehouse Mouse
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:33pmAn elected black Democrat who believes taxpayers money is for his own personal use. I’m shocked, just shocked.
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Al J Zira
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:30pmThe mayor of Detroit was on the take? Who would have thought? I’m willing to bet if you looked at all of the major cities in the US you would find the majority are in the same boat.
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jlightning1
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:28pmHmmm he looked like such a nice fellow.. I find this hard to believe… The judge must be a racist..
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eat-more-bacon-USA
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:27pmKilpatrick is the only person who is surprised and puzzled by this verdict – he’s a typical, delusional, corrupt democrat thug.
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shorthanded12
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:47pmcall him what he is “Modern Day Plantation Leader”
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Budrow
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:27pmAnd this is a surprise to who exactly?
This is the “Man That Stole Detroit” and now we are paying him back that’s all.
The same thing is happening in Washington D.C. and that too seems to be okay with a lot of people.
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mrunner
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:24pmHey, us up here in the Detroit area are just trying hard to keep our garbage from migrating to Texas- best way is to toss em in prison. Gotta keep the progressive crap out so we have a sane place to run when the poop hits the fan!
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OldSurfRat
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:24pmKwame!!!!!!!!
Oh no you dit-ten.
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whatthecrazy
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:34pmNo OLD it’s no you DIT-INT? Sorry, what do i know, I’m white.:)
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CatB
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:53pmYes he did … ;-) I tipped this story earlier today .. some of the comments on MLive are priceless. Oh yes they did go there .. those who opposed Kwame’s thievery are racists ;-)
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scrapadapolis
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:23pmminus 39 years of white collar crimes..
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shorthanded12
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:42pmbetter known as the UAW
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MCON29
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:18pmTypical Democrat. Nothing new here. Obama is receiving the same treatment in DC but on a much larger scale im sure.
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TonyFox
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 4:27pmAre we going to lock up this Black bastard. Or are we going to et him go because we are afraid of his black brothers, hell they can fit in Body Bags to.
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MCON29
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 5:14pmHow about we lock him up just because hes a corrupt politician? Not sure what his race has to do with it? You can take that somewhere else.
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