Thug politics. That's what we call it here in the suburbs of Detroit. When the mayor of Detroit needs an entourage, including multiple bodyguards - bodyguards? - to travel with. When he was first elected, even I was excited - a young African-American man, whose mother is a Representative in the Federal House, could be just what Detroit needed to inject some life into the city. Four years later, I was hoping against hope that Kwame would lose his reelection bid and Detroit could get a man in office who actually cares.
And now it has all blown up. For those of you who have heard the story on CNN or the front page of Yahoo! News, and who knows where else, you have not heard the whole story. Kwame's indictment this week on 10 felony counts, among them perjury and obstruction of justice, is about his testimony in a trial, NOT the fact that he had an affair. Like Bill Clinton before him, he doesn't seem to get that the public could care less if he cheated on his wife; it's that he kept lying about it, even under oath. Here's the whole story:
The deputy chief of police began investigating a party where a stripper was last seen alive. This party happened to be at the mayor's mansion. Oh, it gets better. A few months after the investigation is begun, both the deputy-chief & a bodyguard are "encouraged to leave their positions." Both sued the mayor, stating they were fired because of what they were investigating; and the fact that it was leading to a reveal of an ongoing affair/multiple dabblings with women by Kwame.
The trial begins. Kwame, along with his chief of staff, both swear that the deputy chief was not fired; he was "reassigned" and chose to quit. Kwame also denies firing the bodyguard. They also both deny that they were having an affair. Still, the deputy and the bodyguard were awarded some 6 million in damages. Kwame blames the verdict on "white suburbanite jurors" and claims the verdict was racist.
Then they began a civil case. Rather than appeal or go through the civil case, Kwame all the sudden decided to award the deputy (and another police officer) 8.4 million in settlement. He stated this was so Detroit could "move on." Well, it turns out through the Freedom of Information Act, the Free Press obtained thousands of text messages that had been WITHELD at the trial, which clearly outlines that the deputy chief WAS fired, Kwame DID have an affair with his chief of staff, and that he lied multiple times on the stand. Oh yeah, and that settlement? There was a "confidentiality clause" stating that the deputy and the other officer would never mention the text messages or that they knew he was having an affair, in exchange for the money. All this on Detroit taxpayers' dollar.
Kwame refuses to resign as mayor. He has actually pled "not guilty." And the case of the murdered prostitute at the party at the mayor's mansion? That's being re-investigated. Thug politics. It makes me want to escape from this area forever, and to forget it exists.
I will post pictures and news later!
And now it has all blown up. For those of you who have heard the story on CNN or the front page of Yahoo! News, and who knows where else, you have not heard the whole story. Kwame's indictment this week on 10 felony counts, among them perjury and obstruction of justice, is about his testimony in a trial, NOT the fact that he had an affair. Like Bill Clinton before him, he doesn't seem to get that the public could care less if he cheated on his wife; it's that he kept lying about it, even under oath. Here's the whole story:
The deputy chief of police began investigating a party where a stripper was last seen alive. This party happened to be at the mayor's mansion. Oh, it gets better. A few months after the investigation is begun, both the deputy-chief & a bodyguard are "encouraged to leave their positions." Both sued the mayor, stating they were fired because of what they were investigating; and the fact that it was leading to a reveal of an ongoing affair/multiple dabblings with women by Kwame.
The trial begins. Kwame, along with his chief of staff, both swear that the deputy chief was not fired; he was "reassigned" and chose to quit. Kwame also denies firing the bodyguard. They also both deny that they were having an affair. Still, the deputy and the bodyguard were awarded some 6 million in damages. Kwame blames the verdict on "white suburbanite jurors" and claims the verdict was racist.
Then they began a civil case. Rather than appeal or go through the civil case, Kwame all the sudden decided to award the deputy (and another police officer) 8.4 million in settlement. He stated this was so Detroit could "move on." Well, it turns out through the Freedom of Information Act, the Free Press obtained thousands of text messages that had been WITHELD at the trial, which clearly outlines that the deputy chief WAS fired, Kwame DID have an affair with his chief of staff, and that he lied multiple times on the stand. Oh yeah, and that settlement? There was a "confidentiality clause" stating that the deputy and the other officer would never mention the text messages or that they knew he was having an affair, in exchange for the money. All this on Detroit taxpayers' dollar.
Kwame refuses to resign as mayor. He has actually pled "not guilty." And the case of the murdered prostitute at the party at the mayor's mansion? That's being re-investigated. Thug politics. It makes me want to escape from this area forever, and to forget it exists.
I will post pictures and news later!
Comments