Kwame: ‘I lied under oath.’

It’s finally over

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pled guilty Thursday morning to two felony counts of obstruction of justice stemming from his perjured testimony in a police whistleblower trial last fall. As part of a plea agreement he will serve 120 days in jail, resign today from his job as mayor of Detroit, pay $1 million in restitution, surrender his law license and serve five years’ probation, during which time he will be ineligible to run for office.

Appearing in court before Judge David Groner, Kilpatrick read a short statement admitting guilt in a case that has roiled the city for nearly a year.

“I lied under oath…with intent to mislead the court and the jury, to impede and obstruct the disposition of justice,” he said.

Kilpatrick also pled no contest in a separate case involving an assault on an officer of the court. His plea agreement in that case was similar and would be served concurrently with the sentence in the obstruction of justice case: 120 days in jail, five years’ probation and immediate resignation, to take effect no later than Sept. 18.

Kilpatrick appeared calm and collected in court as he answered Groner’s questions. His wife, Carlita, was in court with him.

So was Christine Beatty, Kilpatrick’s former chief of staff with whom he had an affair. It was the Beatty’s and Kilpatrick’s lies about the affair during the civil trial last fall that earned them both multiple felony counts of perjury, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

Beatty has refused a plea agreement and will appear in court Sept. 11 for a pre-trial hearing. She refused to answer nearly all questions during a deposition Wednesday, citing the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Kilpatrick will be sentenced Oct. 28. He will serve his jail time in the Wayne County Jail. A moving truck was spotted earlier this week outside the mayoral Manoogian mansion.