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Detroit Mayor, Ex-Aide Plead Not Guilty

By COREY WILLIAMS,
AP
Posted: 2008-03-25 15:31:43
DETROIT (March 25) - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his former top aide pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges they lied under oath about having an affair.

Photo Gallery

Wayne County Sheriff's Department/AP

Kilpatrick Slapped
With Felony Charges

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A court document reveals more text messages between Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and ex-aide Christine Beatty. The explicit messages suggest a long-term romantic relationship. The two, here in mug shots, have pleaded not guilty to felony charges stemming from an investigation into testimony they gave during a whistleblower trial last summer.

The mayor and former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty appeared for separate hearings in the scandal that is threatening to prematurely end Kilpatrick's second term.

District Court Magistrate Steve Lockhart entered not guilty pleas for each of them on charges of perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. Both were released on personal bonds.

The two are accused of lying under oath about an affair and their roles in the firing of a top police official. Text messages first reported by the Detroit Free Press revealed a flirty, sometimes explicit, dialogue between the two.

Attorneys for Kilpatrick and Beatty have said their clients will be exonerated.

Photo Gallery

Danny Ewing Jr., U.S. Department of Defense

Political Sex Scandals

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Rear Adm. John D. Stufflebeem, delivering a speech in 2004, was convicted April 18 of making false official statements to investigators about an alleged extra-marital affair he carried out beginning in 1989.
Click through the photos to see other political sex scandals.

In setting the mayor's personal bond, Lockhart noted defendants generally are restricted to the state of Michigan while their cases are pending. However, given Kilpatrick's position, Lockhart granted him the right to travel anywhere within the United States without prior permission, but said Kilpatrick still must give advance notice to the court.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the charges on Monday after an investigation that began in late January 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 steamy text messages revealed a dialogue about where to meet and how to conceal their trysts.

What's Your Take?

Kilpatrick, 37, is married with three children. Beatty, also 37, 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 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.

Kilpatrick has said he will not resign, and his attorney, Dan Webb, said forcing him to step down now would punish the mayor before he has had his day in court.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-03-24 11:25:11
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Recent Comments

1 - 10 of 4818
4818 comments

h3j3h3 08:21:18 PM Apr 06 2008

Thanks to all the racist bigots posting. Any story about a non white person, and you scum come crawling out from under the trailer. I just want to thank you for reminding everyone that racism is still a dangerous problem in America and that the struggle is far from over.

cookedbabyyummy 02:15:01 AM Mar 31 2008

Typical N!ggers, give them some power and see what becomes of it...........

teaz58 01:45:54 AM Mar 30 2008

Is that strange Kwame and his ex-aide want the text messages to remain a secret.
And they claim that those text messages aren't theirs. If the text isn't theirs, why worry???????????????

teaz58 11:09:48 PM Mar 29 2008

HAIN'T NO STOPPING US NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WEZ ON THE MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WEZ IN THE GROOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OBAMA?????????????????

imn2trux 01:10:19 PM Mar 29 2008

Kwame tell me why do you drink, why do you blow smoke, why did you text all those notes that you wrote, stop and think it over put yourself in my unique position, If I get stoned and text all night long it's a Mayor's tradition.

lashzebub 01:09:05 PM Mar 29 2008

I work in Detroit. Unfortunaely, the issue really is divided down racial lines. Which is sad. However, I believe the outcome of the trial will hinge on the actual venue of the trial. In Wayne County, the prosecutor's office will be hard pressed convince ALL 12 juors, as required to obtain a conviction; if the venue is changed to Oakland a conviction will be a much, much easier to achieve.

At this point all that is guaranteed, is this tragic event will costs millions in attorneys fees at the trial court and appellate level, all the while Det. will lose millions in future growth opportunties based on a looming cloud of corruption.

jusus82306 11:52:56 AM Mar 29 2008

ookedbabyyummy 10:48:44 PM Mar 28 2008
Report This!
That what happens when you give n!ggers power, they dont know how to use it properly
_____________________________You pecker woods get a **** ***, and you can't control yourselves, you'd sell your country for 15 minutes of what you could do with your hand. Oh I'm sorry forgot your white make that 3 minutes.

jusus82306 11:49:26 AM Mar 29 2008

If he paid 4,500 for a shot of Ass, I wonder what he would spend on the city's day to day expense, It seem white folk alway have to pay for it, but 4500, come on, That's gullible at it's best, There is a different in being crooked and Stupid, I guess the white guy was both

jusus82306 11:44:51 AM Mar 29 2008

You know Spitzer was a angel, and that gay Mayor from New Jersey were just doing there jobs. But at least the brother didn't have to pay for it

kcaron10127 11:23:13 AM Mar 29 2008

How can 13% of the population cause so many problems?

Is it genetic?

Jesus, it's like they just can't help themselves.

1 - 10 of 4818
4818 comments

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