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Kwame Kilpatrick (Facebook photo)
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's battle with the U.S. Attorney's Office over the $823,649 in restitution he owes turned more contentious Wednesday with his court filing. He accused the feds of misleading the court, lying to him, bullying and extorting him, and freezing funds that forced him "to remove our children from school."
In the five-page court filing, Kilpatrick asks that U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy III release a government hold on more than $13,000 in a Comerica bank account that belongs to his wife's business, which he says he has nothing to do with. The government has contended that the money also belongs to Kilpatrick.
The restitution is owed as a result of his public corruption conviction in 2013. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison, but President Donald Trump, just before leaving office in January 2021, commuted his sentence to time served.
Kilpatrick argues in the court filing that Pathfinder Consulting Company is solely owned by his wife, LaTicia, and has been since 2017. Kilpatrick got out of prison in January 2021, and the two married that summer.
"I have consistently maintained that I am not involved in the management, executive decision-making, nor any banking issues concerning her business or financial affairs," Kilpatrick writes in his filing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Nathan has shown a persistent interest in the Comerica Bank funds, despite being aware that it is not my account nor my funds," he writes, insisting he has been transparent.
"As a matter of fact, there was no information hidden in our conversations. None! Public speaking fees, preaching fees, check copies, monthly bills, other income, expenses, income tax filings, etc."
"We even discussed my mother’s death benefits, and I offered information for the attorney who could give her all the information about that. Anything being described as 'hidden' or 'stashed' is not only a lie, but much more intentionally misleading."
"The freezing of this account and the lack of access to my financial resources for nearly four months stands as a travesty of justice," Kilpatrick writes. "Not only have we had to remove our children from school, but the deleterious effect of the leaked documents and conversations about sealed documents filed to the court has worked to chill invitations for speaking engagements."
Kilpatrick, 55, is a minister and speaks around the community and around the U.S. and the world.
The U.S. Attorney's Office on Wednesday declined comment.
The Kilpatrick filing says prosecutor Nathan offered to take $7,000 from the Comerica business account for restitution and leave the remaining $6,000, and wanted his wife to stipulate to the agreement. Kilpatrick said his attorney advised against that, and he agreed.
He writes that Nathan pressured him and froze the account. "This is bullying at best, but much more akin to extortion."
He writes that he had reached an agreement with the feds "to ensure the consistent payments of my outstanding restitution obligation," but Nathan disregarded the agreements "as evidenced" by "removing all my retirement funds and leaving my family without any necessary financial support."
He said Nathan initially lied to him about moving to unfreeze his account, but eventually did.
The Detroit News reports that since leaving prison, the Internal Revenue Service has hit Kilpatrick with a $634,655 outstanding income tax bill.
Kilpatrick says there is no lien, as reported, but rather the account has been put in an "unable to collect" status and will be reviewed at a later date.
