From The Hotline Latest Edition for Wednesday, April 30,2008

KILPATRICK

Thinks It's Okay To Discuss Marriage Via Pager

Wed. Apr. 30, 2008


A series of "often-explicit text messages" from Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's (D) ex-CoS, Christine Beatty, released 4/29 "appear to show that she had a long-term romantic relationship with him and that he played a role in the firing of a police officer who sued the city."

The document released "includes descriptions of sexual trysts, the frequent use of the N-word" by Kilpatrick and Beatty "as a term of endearment, and discussions of marriage." The text messages "also appear to show that Kilpatrick was involved in the decision to fire" ex-Dep. Police Chief Gary Brown, which Kilpatrick has denied under oath. Beatty, in a 5/15/03 text: "I'm sorry that we are going through this mess because of a decision that we made to fire Gary Brown" (Williams, AP, 4/30).

The messages, which were sent on city-issued pagers in '02-'03, "are included in an 18-page brief" that its author, the atty for three officers who sued the city after being dismissed, says directly led Kilpatrick to settle the case for $8.4M. Kilpatrick, "who had angrily vowed to appeal a jury's verdict against the city, agreed to settle" for $1.9M more than the original award "just hours after" the atty, Michael Stefani, "gave a copy of the document to a lawyer for the mayor."

The messages' release was ordered by Judge Robert Colombo of the Wayne Co. Circuit Court, "after requests by Detroit newspapers" and city council atty William Goodman (Bunkley, New York Times, 4/30).