Posted Jan. 24, 2008 – The mayor of Detroit could face criminal perjury charges after text messages between him and a chief staff person surfaced Wednesday, showing evidence of an extra-marital affair they both previously denied under oath.
WHAT TEXT MESSAGES SHOW
Kwame Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty denied romantic involvement with one another while testifying in the 2007 civil case that involved two cops who said they were punished for investigating misuse of the mayor's authority.
The civil claim alleged that the men lost pay and suffered extreme personal stress, in part, because their investigations would've revealed an adulterous relationship between Kilpatrick and Beatty, who were both married at the time. Beatty has since divorced.
"It is profoundly embarrassing to have these extremely private messages now displayed in such a public manner," says Kilpatrick, who asks that media respect his family's privacy and that of Beatty. He claims that he and his wife resolved the "personal issues" years ago, long before last year's trial.
Among the text communications revealed by a Detroit Free Press investigation are Kilpatrick's references to having Beatty "all to myself" and "making love," along with mutual exchanges between the two about being "madly in love" with each other.
A judge in the civil case confirmed that criminal perjury charges could be issued against Beatty and Kilpatrick, who've been acquainted since high school. At one point during the course of events that led to the civil lawsuit, one of the cops on the mayor's security team reportedly wondered if he'd have to shoot Beatty's husband on an occasion when it was feared the husband would discover his wife's affair with the mayor.
The lawsuit was settled between the city and officers Gary Brown and Harold Nelthrop for $8.9 million – money that will come out of the pockets of Detroit's taxpayers.
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