U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade is at the forefront of the investigation. "This indictment alleges an audacious and far-reaching abuse of the public trust by a group of high-level city officials and their close associates," McQuade said during a press conference.
McQuade even refers to the conspiracy as the "Kilpatrick Enterprise," claiming that the goal of the enterprise was to enrich Kwame Kilpatrick and his family members. They argue that Kilpatrick and his family used their positions of influence to coerce others into helping them achieve their objectives. Kilpatrick served as Mayor of Detroit from 2005 until 2008. He was removed from office upon pleading guilty to obstruction of justice. He is currently serving a prison term that relates to violating the conditions of his probation.
The indictment came after a six-year investigation into the activities of the Kilpatrick family. The FBI and other federal authorities claim that they are continuing to gather evidence. They are also investigating other forms of corruption within Detroit government. They've already convicted Monica Conyers, the former president of the Detroit City Council, in addition to the former deputy mayor Kandia Milton and Milton's brother, DeDan.
One of Kilpatrick's business associates, Bobby Ferguson, is accused of kicking back $424,000 in cash and other valuables in exchange for tens of millions of dollars in city contracts. Also, while Kwame Kilpatrick was mayor, his father Bernard deposited $600,00 into personal bank accounts. He is therefore being charged with making false tax filings for 2004, 2005 and 2007.
The saying "Oh what a tangled web we weave" comes to mind when I think about the on-going challenges of Kwame Kilpatrick and his associates. Kwame is from a political family, with his mother, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, serving as a Democratic Congresswoman from the state of Michigan. Politics runs in the blood of the Kilpatrick family, and quite a few relatives have decided to follow suit.
When I see the ups and downs of this family, I wonder if they are reconsidering whether the spoils of political success are worth the stress that one experiences with father and son indictments, tremendous public humiliation, expensive legal battles and everything else that comes with a life of complex politics. Call me crazy, but I am not entirely sure if the Kilpatrick family is definitely less ethical than other political families. I'm sure that digging into the backgrounds of the Clintons, Bushes or anyone else would bring up far more dirt than the media could ever report. While we can't excuse any illegal behavior on the part of Kwame or his family, I wince at the difficulty of figuring out the line between business as usual and something that could send you to prison.
With that said, I found Kwame to be disappointing as a political official and also as a human being. He seemed to approach his position of importance with the kind of arrogance that no man should have when being trusted with the public confidence. A mayor is not a rap star, celebrity or athlete. He is a humble public servant. That humility can serve as protection when the spoils and temptations of power start to take hold of a man's psyche.
I addressed the National Black Law Student Association in 2008 along with my colleague Charles Ogletree of Harvard University. The mood was somber, since Kwame was supposed to attend the event. But he wasn't able to attend because just a few days earlier, he'd been accused of some very serious crimes. I had no idea that two years later, we'd still be addressing the mountain of legal mess that he has helped to create for himself and his family. In many ways, I feel sorry for him, and I hope that in the middle of all this, he can find peace. A final point is that his parents should never have opened doors for Kwame to get so much power at such an early age. The truth is that he was probably not mature enough to handle it.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.