Government Law
Detroit Mayor Sues to Stop Ouster Hearing, Claims Gov. is Biased
Posted Aug 29, 2008, 06:10 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has filed suit in an effort to stop Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm from holding a hearing into whether he should be removed from office.
The Detroit City Council has requested the hearing under a state constitutional provision that allows the governor to remove government officials who commit misconduct, the Associated Press reports.
Kilpatrick’s suit claims the law is vague and subjective. It also reveals that Granholm tried to reach a deal in May with Kilpatrick to end the perjury case and oust him from office. "It was apparent at this meeting that the governor did not presume Kilpatrick's innocence," the suit says.
Kilpatrick has been charged with perjury for allegedly giving false testimony in a police whistleblower case. Members of the Detroit City Council claim they were misled into approving an $8.4 million settlement in the case. They say they were never told the deal included a promise to keep secret text messages revealing Kilpatrick’s affair with an aide and possible perjury.
Meanwhile three lawyers have refused to testify in the removal hearings, the Associated Press reports in a separate story. Two had roles in the civil case and a third is a city attorney. Kilpatrick's lawyer says the refusals could harm the mayor's ability to defend himself, and Granholm should subpoena them.
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