Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick asked judge to erase $1.5 million restitution tab

Kilpatrick claims he didn't cost city of Detroit any money

Kwame Kilpatrick

DETROIT – Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is asking a judge to erase his $1.5 million restitution tab.

The embattled former mayor claims he didn't cost the city of Detroit anything financially, and therefore shouldn't have to pay restitution.

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Kilpatrick argued that he is being punished for bid rigging, a crime he claimed he didn't commit, and that his restitution tab is based on a contract that prosecutors said was infected by that bid rigging.

Kilpatrick's restitution was lowered last week from $4,584,423 to $1,520,653.50. According to records, the court found his gains didn't directly correlate with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department's financial losses.

Kilpatrick said the government can't provide enough evidence of the amount he owes, so he shouldn't have to pay the amount.

In July, Kilpatrick asked a judge to throw out his nearly three-decade prison sentence, claiming he did nothing against the law. The motion claimed the U.S. Court of Appeals made several errors. The court upheld the corruption convictions.

In the appeal, Kilpatrick claimed there was no corruption on his part, and that the trial engendered such media attention that there was no way he could possibly get a fair trial. He said his representation was lacking.

Kilpatrick added a new peg to the argument by claiming he never committed extortion, bribery or racketeering as an official act.


About the Author:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.