Former Detroit mayor gets 28 years in Club Fed.

[gary m]

MSN link

Once seen as a rising star and a great hope for the city of Detroit, former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will spend 28 years in federal prison.

DETROIT - Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced Thursday to 28 years in prison for corruption, the apparent last step after a series of scandals destroyed his political career and helped steer a crisis-laden city even deeper into trouble.

Kilpatrick, who served as mayor from 2002 until fall 2008, fattened his bank account by tens of thousands of dollars, traveled the country in private planes and even strong-armed his campaign fundraiser for stacks of cash hidden in her bra, according to evidence at trial.
...
Agents who pored over bank accounts and credit cards said Kilpatrick spent $840,000 beyond his salary during his time as mayor. Defense attorneys tried to portray the money as generous gifts from political supporters who opened their wallets for birthdays or holidays
...
Kilpatrick, a Democrat, quit office in 2008 in a different scandal that was extraordinary at the time but seems smaller compared with the sweeping federal probe that has led to the convictions of more than 30 people. Sexually explicit text messages revealed that Kilpatrick had lied during a trial to cover up an affair with his top aide, Christine Beatty, and to hide the reasons for demoting or firing police officers who suspected wrongdoing at city hall.

I find this particularly interesting

Detroit voters soon will elect a third mayor since Kilpatrick's departure, although the city is under the control of an emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, for at least another year. Orr, with the blessing of Michigan's governor, took Detroit into bankruptcy in July, saying there was no other way to solve $18 billion in long-term debt. The case is pending.

No mention about Obama claiming in 2008 that Kilpatrick was a "great mayor" "doing an outstanding job".
No mention of his association to convicted felon, former Detroit councilwoman and batshit crazy wife of John Conyers, Monica.
No mention he is the son of former 12 year Michigan Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and convicted tax evader, Carolyn's hubby Bernard.

Yet in all of this, the article saw fit to mention the Republican governor appointed emergency manager, who has absolutely nothing to do with Kwame, his time in office or his problems.

Probably just an oversight.

[Bob Loblaw 3.0]

It's a wonder any republicans get elected anymore, considering what they're up against.

[Adam]

Hasn't he been sentenced like four times already?


Seems like every six weeks, I'm seeing another "Kwame Fitzpatrick sentenced to prison" story.


Dood was incredibly crooked and ran an incredibly crooked city. Everyone act surprised. Next you'll tell me that the governor of Illinois is getting indicted or something equally shocking.




I'm becoming more and more convinced that we should build a special prison for political crimes. Build it on Guam or some remote Aleutian island or something. Re-purpose GTMO for all I care; just make it some place special where the locals and the people you've fucked over can come and throw rotten fruit at you all day long. If you're an elected official, be it a mayor, President, Senator, or dog-catcher, if you're caught engaging in some manner of political corruption, you get banished to this Elba. It can be medium-security if it's on some island somewhere, rather than maximum-security, but these fools have to feed themselves off the land surrounding them and they don't get tennis courts, bowling alleys, internet, or television. Bastards like Fitzpatrick with Detroit and What's-his-name from Illinois selling the Senatorship or John McCain with the whole Keating Five business or whatever will get sent to this special prison. The sole requirement to get sent there is that someone has to fuck over the taxpayer: bang a hooker, you get treated like an average Joe; bang a hooker and use taxpayer funds to pay her (or him), and you're going to Club Congress. Let's see how many people breach the public trust when the mayor of Busted Wheel, West Virginia is on CNN looking out from behind bars at a special prison colony for political fools. I bet political corruption plummets faster than a Steinway off of the Empire State Building once that happens.

[Frostbit]

some remote Aleutian island or something. and throw rotten fruit at you all day long.

The only fruit you'd find there is rotten so it wouldn't be a stretch except airfare to get there to throw the fruit is costly. You may want to consult a travel agent.

[gary m]

He was sentenced for state crimes, put on probation aftere short prison stays and then took the return bus trip when he violated probation.
This is for Federal crap and even with this there are still more ongoing investigations so it may not be over yet.
Almost everyone connected to him and his term as Detroit mayor has been an unwilling guest at some state or Federal facility.
Frankly, I am surprised he is still alive. He not only knows where a lot of bodies are buried (figuratively and literally), but may have helped put some of them there.

28 years could be a good incentive to start singing.