Detroit mayor charged with 8 civil felonies

WASHINGTON — The civic soap opera engulfing Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick took a new twist Monday when a county prosecutor charged the one-time rising political star with obstruction of justice, perjury and misconduct in office, all related to a romantic relationship with his former chief of staff.

Facing political catastrophe and a long prison term, Kilpatrick defiantly vowed to fight the civil felony charges, which grew out of the $8.4 million settlement of a lawsuit against him by police officials and the leaking of steamy romantic text messages between the mayor and longtime aide Christine Beatty.

Both the mayor and Beatty turned themselves in for booking Monday afternoon. No trial date has been set.

In a brief news conference, Kilpatrick dismissed the case against him as "a very flawed process from the beginning."

But the seriousness of the charges are daunting. He faces a lengthy prison term if convicted of the eight felony counts against him. Each of the two counts of misconduct and four counts of perjury against him carries a 15-year sentence. The two obstruction counts are five-year felonies.

Kilpatrick's conviction would derail the rise of a youthful Democrat who had gained fame as "the hip-hop mayor," both for his election at age 31 and his penchant for the high life — from allegations of a party at the mayor's mansion that featured appearances by strippers to recent revelations about his affair with Beatty.

Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy accused the mayor of lying under oath during a "public whistle-blower" trial last fall and trying to obstruct justice by attempting to hide his extramarital relationship with Beatty, who was charged with seven felony counts.

"Even children understand that lying is wrong," Worthy said Monday.

The City Council asked Kilpatrick to step down last week, but he refused, and the council has no authority to remove him in the meantime.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.