Ex-mayor Kilpatrick resigned from office and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice charges on Sept. 4, 2008, following an investigation that revealed he used city resources to cover up a romantic affair with his chief of staff, Christine Beatty. He served 99 days in jail and was ordered to pay restitution of $1 million to the city.
Kado himself blew the whistle on the Kilpatricks. He’s been cooperating with the FBI for almost five years in the case. He told the feds he paid $100,000 in cash directly to the then-mayor in 2002. He also claims to have paid hundreds of thousands more to Bernard Kilpatrick, Kwame’s father. Kado is awaiting sentencing for paying bribes to protect multimillion dollar contracts he had with the city.
“No one’s surprised, it’s sort of par for the course,” said Dennis Darnoi, a political operative in Oakland County who runs Densar Consulting. Darnoi said a number of Oakland County businessmen interested in doing business with the city said they were given Bernard Kilpatrick’s number and told to call it to set up a meeting with the mayor. Bernard Kilpatrick would then allegedly request $10,000 to guarantee a meeting with city hall. “It was just kind of how business was done,” Darnoi said.
The net effect of the younger Kilpatrick’s corruption stands to not only topple his father, but his mother’s political career is at stake as well. Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick now faces an uphill battle to defend her seat in the 13th District as a result of her wayward son and ex-husband.
Political analyst and syndicated columnist Susan Dumas said the renewed headlines could help state Senator Hansen Clarke topple Cheeks Kilpatrick in the next primary. While the congresswoman has not been mentioned in connection to the scandal, her name and support of her son may prove costly at the ballot box. Dumas pointed out that Cheeks Kilpatrick eeked out a close victory in a three-way race in 2008, ultimately saved by a late endorsement from Nancy Pelosi.
Kwame Kilpatrick keeps on making us proud. His path of destruction stretches far and wide. Who will he take down with him next? –gerald radford
