Ex Detroit Mayor Found Guilty of Corruption.

After waiting for so long the People of Detroit were rewarded today when ex mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his co-horts were convicted. He is back in jail and will be for a long time it appears. He deserves everything he gets as well. Now maybe the city can begin to move on although there is still much corruption within the city itself.

www.freep.com...

A jury decided this morning that former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick ran a criminal enterprise — complete with extortion, bribes and kickbacks — while he was the mayor of the state’s largest city.

The panel convicted him and longtime contractor friend Bobby Ferguson of running a racket out of the mayor’s office for years to enrich themselves. They found the pair guilty of shakedowns and bid-rigging. In some cases, longtime friends testified they handed cash to Kilpatrick in envelopes.

Link to full list of charges and outcomes.

Kwame Kilpatrick: Guilty, 24 of 30 counts

Guilty


Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy From 2000-2009, Kilpatrick and Ferguson were part of a criminal enterprise that ran through City Hall in Detroit, called “the Kilpatrick Enterprise” by prosecutors. Contractors who sought work in the city had to include Ferguson or rig bids to make sure Ferguson got a cut of the work and the money.
Count 2: Extortion, sewer lining contract From 2002-2006, Kilpatrick and Ferguson received payments of more than $23.7 million in contract revenues from Inland Water Solutions, Inc. A $50 million contract that was already approved by Detroit’s Water and Sewerage Department was held up between 2002 and 2006 until Inland Water Solutions replaced their minority contractor with Ferguson, on Ferguson’s terms.
Count 3: Extortion, amendment to sewer lining contract From 2004-2005, Kilpatrick and Ferguson received payments from Inland of about $175,000 in connection with an amendment to the contract.
Count 4: Extortion, Baby Creek/Patton Park From 2003-2008, Walbridge Aldinger Co. paid Kilpatrick, Ferguson and his companies more than $5 million for work at Baby Creek and Patton Park out of fear of economic consequences.
Count 5: Extortion, Oakwood pump station In 2007, Kilpatrick and Ferguson pressured Walbridge to partner with Ferguson in a $140 million construction project at the Oakwood pump station.
Count 9: Extortion, east side water mains From 2006-2008, Kilpatrick, Ferguson and Ferguson’s company, Xcel Construction Services, obtained payments and subcontracts from Lakeshore and A&H Contractor worth more than $12.9 million from a contract to repair mains on Detroit’s east side.
Count 17: Bribery, $75,000 bribe In March 2008, Ferguson gave Kilpatrick $75,000 for the Kilpatrick Civic Fund in exchange for having contracts steered to his company or for having contracts to hire or pay Ferguson.
Counts 18-26: Mail fraud involving civic fund Kilpatrick used monies donated to the civic fund for personal and campaign expenses.
Count 28: Wire fraud involving civic fund Kilpatrick used monies donated to the civic fund for personal and campaign expenses.
Count 30: Wire fraud involving civic fund Kilpatrick used monies donated to the civic fund for personal and campaign expenses.
Counts 31-35: Filing false taxes Kilpatrick filed false tax returns from 2004-2008.
Count 36: Tax evasion In 2008, Kilpatrick received unreported taxable income of at least $261,751 in the form of cash, private jet flights and personal expenses paid for by the civic fund, and he owed $85,397 in income tax. He concealed income from the Internal Revenue Service.

Also one of the local radio stations in Detroit had a banner flown over the city in honor of the verdict.
www.freep.com...

reply to post by usmc0311


I read about this today. It’s sad that such a great city has been destroyed by cronyism and political extortion.

Seems a lot like the City of Chicago and the Federal Government today if you ask me!

He was auditioning but he got punked before he made it to the big stage.

Just business as usual in Detroit. Ole Coleman Young did the same thing. Funny, I don't remember him going to jail. I do remember the South African Krugerand thing, I don't think he did any time though. Hummmm

As soon as he gets out of prison, he can be reelected, ala Marion Barry in Washington DC.
Maybe he will be President someday.

Originally posted by butcherguy
As soon as he gets out of prison, he can be reelected, ala Marion Barry in Washington DC.
Maybe he will be President someday.

Well, in all fairness, he doesn't have the crack abuse Barry had.

You know there is the "recovering addict" sympathy vote.

Maybe he'll pick up that habit in prison for political expediency.

We wondered how the verdict would go, as they deliberated for so long...100 hours.

They always say that the longer the jury is out....the better for the defendant.....not this time.

A great day for Metro Detroit.

Just think how much better Detroit would be right now if those crooks...and others had not stolen multimillions in city funds.

reply to post by DontTreadOnMe


It is sad to see the demise of all of the great manufacturing cities along the Great Lakes region. Great cities, lots of history, important ports along the waterways that connect this country, all run into the ground by greedy corrupt officials and policies . . .

Glad to see some people being called on their tactics, but Detroit has a long road back to prominence.

reply to post by seabag

I read about this today. It’s sad that such a great city has been destroyed by cronyism and political extortion. progressive Liberalism and union stranglehold for 50 years.

There, now it accurately addresses the problem.

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
We wondered how the verdict would go, as they deliberated for so long...100 hours.

They always say that the longer the jury is out....the better for the defendant.....not this time.

A great day for Metro Detroit.

Just think how much better Detroit would be right now if those crooks...and others had not stolen multimillions in city funds.

Well, in this case it took so long because there were 30 freaking charges to decide upon.

Him being found guilty of 24.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by seabag

 

I read about this today. It’s sad that such a great city has been destroyed by cronyism and political extortion. progressive Liberalism and union stranglehold for 50 years.

There, now it accurately addresses the problem.

I can agree with most of your edit, but I wish people would stop using the word "liberal" or "liberalism". Liberalism comes directly from the writing/philosophy of John Locke, which is rooted in the rights of the individual. I realize that term has been co-opted and subverted by the Progressives in this country to fool people into thinking they are "for the people", but there is nothing liberal about their policies or practices.

reply to post by solomons path


What do you want to call them then? "Progressive" implies they are for progress.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by solomons path

 

What do you want to call them then? "Progressive" implies they are for progress.

Progressive ideology is a form of Collectivism . . . the rights of the group outweigh the individual. Liberalism is based in Individualism and civil liberities . . . that's where Libertarianism stems from. They are Progressive Collectivists, just like communists, socialists, and facists.

They use "liberal" because it makes them sound like the good guys and the right in this country goes right along with it . . . that term has been subverted in America since the time of FDR, so I'm not suprised most don't realize what they have done. Just saying . . . do you think the Dems policies of legislating our every move are "liberal" or promote "liberty" or do they seem much more "socialistic"?

I doubt my one man crusade will affect the whole country or the media, but that propaganda is a pet peeve of mine and I wish more people learned and labled them correctly . . . that's all.

Now, if they would do something about the rest of the corruption running a muck, then they'd be doing something. This is nothing more than pacification. Someone needs to be responsible for the fall of Detroit. They dare not go after those really responsible for it's collapse. More smoke and mirrors to appease the sheeple.

reply to post by solomons path

Progressive ideology is a form of Collectivism . . . the rights of the group outweigh the individual.

Well, in that case the voters are morons. Because in a Constitutional Republic, the rights of the few are protected from the whims of the majority.

reply to post by solomons path

I can agree with most of your edit, but I wish people would stop using the word "liberal" or "liberalism".

I suggest 'libtard' be changed to 'protard'.

I also like the term 'power hungry nanny-statists', as it is a more apt description, but it is not a short word and would not work for today's texters and FB crowd.

reply to post by butcherguy

I suggest 'libtard' be changed to 'protard'.

I also like the term 'power hungry nanny-statists', as it is a more apt description, but it is not a short word and would not work for today's texters and FB crowd.

I’ve got a better one that can be shortened for texting. How about this??

Power-hungry
Usurping
Tyrannical
Zealots

PUTZ for short!