Just the facts, ma’am.
As is typical with political scandals, a lot of talk is flying around concerning the running story of Detroit’s Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s latest troubles, dubbed the text message scandal. If you do not know the story, go elsewhere for details.
The mayor added to the talk last night, when in his scheduled annual State of the City address, he deviated from his prepared remarks. The Michigan Public Radio story I heard this morning said that his off-the-cuff remarks generated the largest response of the night from the invitation-only audience.
Without giving specifics or directly referring to the text message scandal engulfing his administration, Kilpatrick strayed from his prepared remarks and said that in the past three days he had received more death threats than any time as mayor, and in the last 30 days been called the “n” word more than any other time of his life.
“I’ve heard these words before, but I’ve never heard people say them about my wife and my children,” said Kilpatrick, as his wife and twin sons watched from the balcony. “This unethical, illegal lynch-mob mentality has to stop.” (detnews.com)
What was the point of adding these comments to his State of the City address if not to appeal to his supporters? As he has done since his first public response to the developing scandal, he is seeking sympathy by suggesting personal malice in any attack against him. This is the first time he has publicly brought the race card into the picture, but not the first time he hidden behind his family.
So what are the facts? We do know from the court-mandated release of documents that his administration fought to keep sealed that steps were taken to hide information from Detroit City Council. Information that they might have considered important in approving the $8.4 million settlement of the 2007 whistle-blower lawsuit.
What are the facts about alleged perjury he may have committed while testifying in that lawsuit? The city is waiting for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to announce this Friday whether perjury charges will be issued. It has been suggested that this situation presents Worthy with a political “lose-lose” situation, and she has said that she will not avoid the hard choices here. Wayne State Law professor Peter J. Henning however, points out that perjury is a difficult criminal charge to prove in court.
While Kilpatrick is at this date not yet charged, and certainly not convicted, the presumption of innocence is the position he holds as an heir to our legal system. But his political fate is not subject to such legal niceties. Most people would like to see a convincing resolution of the questions surrounding the mayor’s actions, but many on both sides might say “Don’t confuse me with the facts.”
And that is a fact.