Kilpatrick and Beatty text-messaging scandal

The Kilpatrick and Beatty text-messaging scandal was a political sex scandal in the United States emerging from a whistleblower lawsuit involving former Detroit Police chief Gary Brown, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff and paramour Christine Beatty.

In 2003, a civil lawsuit was filed against Kilpatrick by ex-bodyguard Harold Nelthrope and former Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown, who claimed they were fired in retaliation for an internal-affairs investigation. Brown had led the investigation, and Nelthrope had told investigators about rumors of a party that occurred at the Mayor's mansion.^[1] Both claimed that Kilpatrick was motivated, in part, by his concern that the probe would uncover his extramarital affairs.^[2] The trial began in August 2007. Kilpatrick and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, both testified under oath that they were not involved in an extramarital affair.^[3][4] In September 2007, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found in favor of Nelthrope and Brown, awarding $6.5 million in damages. After the verdict was read, Kilpatrick said that the racial composition of the jury—which was mostly white and suburban—had played a role in the outcome and vowed an appeal.^[2]

In October, plaintiffs' attorney Mike Stefani received thousands of text messages he had been endeavoring to obtain via subpoena—the messages indicated an affair between Kilpatrick and Beatty.^[5][6] A day after he presented the files to the city's attorneys, Kilpatrick announced that he had agreed to settle the case, and the city counsel approved the $8.4 million deal, which included a proviso that Stefani would turn the files over to the mayor.^[2][7][8] After the Detroit Free Press filed a Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the proviso was removed from the main settlement document and put into a confidential supplement.^[2]

The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News filed a FOIA suit, seeking all settlement-related documents,^[9][10] and, in February 2008, the Michigan Supreme Court ordered the settlement documents be turned over to the plaintiffs.^[11] The bulk of the text messages were released in late October 2008 by Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny, who instructed that some portions be redacted.^[12]

Beatty resigned from her position as Kilpatrick's chief of staff.^[13] The City Council requested that Kilpatrick resign as mayor and that Governor Granholm use her authority to remove him from office.^[14][15] Granholm said the inquiry was like a trial and that her role would be "functioning in a manner similar to that of a judicial officer."^[14] Kilpatrick said he had paid back the $8.4 million through "hard work for the city" and dismissed any intentions of removing himself from office as "political rhetoric".^[16] Kilpatrick and Beatty were ultimately charged with several criminal counts, including perjury, and, as part of a plea agreement, Kilpatrick resigned as mayor.^[17]

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Author:Kwame Kilpatrick