Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is doubling down on his contention that he doesn't owe any money to the federal government stemming from his public corruption conviction. […] In his latest court filing on this contentious issue, Kilpatrick states that he is "formally requesting" a hearing on the matter, wants the issue moved to federal court in Georgia — where he lives — and says there has been "no accurate accounting" by the government regarding his restitution debt.
According to the federal government, Kilpatrick still owes $824,774 for crimes he was convicted of more than a decade ago, including bribery, extortion and fraud. That's significantly more than the $164,000 debt that the government said he owed in February, though the U.S. Attorney's Office said the new, higher figure is based on more recent communications with the court.
Kilpatrick's downfall began in 2008, when the Free Press published text messages that showed he lied during a police whistleblower trial when he testified that he did not have an affair with his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, and gave misleading testimony about the firing of a deputy police chief. The ex-mayor still owes $852,000 in restitution to the city of Detroit stemming from that scandal.
Video Bonus: Pulitzer Prize-winning Free Press reporters Jim Schaefer and M.L. Elrick on the text-message scandal that forced Kwame Kilpatrick to resign as mayor.
Meanwhile, over at The News: Kwame Kilpatrick fighting cash grab by feds in restitution battle
Kilpatrick, 53, made the argument in a federal court filing Monday, the latest development in a years-long attempt to hold accountable a corrupt politician portrayed by federal prosecutors as an unremorseful crook who has lied in the past about his ability to pay restitution while pursuing a life of luxury.
Prosecutors say Kilpatrick has paid a pittance — $9,099.81 — and is making minimal $150 monthly payments toward the federal restitution.
Meanwhile, Kilpatrick leased a $90,000 luxury SUV last year, several months before his wife's consulting firm bought an $807,000 home in Novi while paying nothing toward the $854,062 restitution he owes from a separate text-message scandal that led to his ouster as Detroit mayor.
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Chesterfield? I always liked that area, small-town suburban and close to the water. But, duuuude! Just hop on I-94 and come downtown already! You'll thank me later!
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