Hip Hop Mayor Goes Down for Perjury

By Pamela Mortimer

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is Detroit's youngest elected leader and a one time rising star. On Monday, Kilpatrick was charged with perjury and other counts after a series of sexually explicit text messages with a top aide were revealed. Kilpatrick had previously given testimony denying the relationship.

Kym Worthy, a Wayne County Prosecutor, also brought charges against the 37-year-old mayor with obstruction of justice and misconduct in office.

Kilpatrick, a Democrat, is scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday afternoon. If convicted, the "Hip Hop Mayor" could face up to 15 years in prison and be immediately expelled from office.

"Some have suggested that the issues in this case are personal or private," Worthy said. "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. ... This case is about as far from being a private matter as one can get."

In a statement made later in the day, Kilpatrick said he expects to be exonerated on all charges.

"I look forward to complete exoneration once all the facts have been brought forth," Kilpatrick said. "I will remain focused on moving this city forward."

The other party involved in the perjury charge is Former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, 37. Beatty also denied under oath that she and Kilpatrick had a romantic relationship during 2002-2003. She was also charged with perjury and obstruction of justice. Beatty's attorney, Jeffrey Morganroth, did not return calls seeking comment.

Worthy’s investigation started in January, the day after the Free Press published parts of the embarrassing text messages. The messages directly contradicted testimony given by Kilpatrick and Beatty during a previously filed lawsuit in which Kilpatrick was accused of firing two police officers for investigating claims that the mayor used his security force to cover up his extramarital affair.

Under oath, both Kilpatrick and Beatty denied having an intimate relationship, but the text messages reveal otherwise. The messages show that they carried on a flirtatious, sometimes sexually explicit, dialogue about where they could meet and how they could conceal their trysts.

Mayor Kilpatrick is married with three children; Beatty was married at the time of the incident and has two children.

The eight charges filed against Kilpatrick include conspiracy to obstruct justice, misconduct in office, obstruction of justice, perjury in a court proceeding, and two counts of perjury other than in a court proceeding. The seven counts against Beatty include conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury in a court proceeding and two counts of perjury other than in a court proceeding.