RATS fear no evil... they embrace it!!! he will stay in office.
Posted on 02/29/2008 7:56:26 PM PST by Kieri
State law could allow Granholm to remove Kilpatrick from office 2/29/2008, 9:07 p.m. EST By COREY WILLIAMS The Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Gov. Jennifer Granholm can remove local elected officials from office, but Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick may not face that rarely used power in a text-messaging sex scandal.
In fact, the last time a Michigan governor acted to remove a local official was in 1982 when William Milliken found West Bloomfield Township treasurer Andrew Lobodocky guilty of official misconduct.
The removal process was detailed Friday by Granholm's office after Detroit City Councilman Kwame Kenyatta said in a statement that the council could prepare a list of charges against Kilpatrick and present them to Lansing.
The City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a resolution calling for Kilpatrick to resign.
It accuses Kilpatrick of lying under oath when he denied during a whistle-blowers' trial that he was involved in a romantic relationship with former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty.
Embarrassing and sexually explicit text messages left on Beatty's city-issued pager in 2002 and 2003 allude to a physical relationship.
References to those messages were part of a confidential agreement in the $8.4 million settlement of the whistle-blowers' lawsuit.
Kenyatta has said the council could force Kilpatrick from office if he refuses to quit.
In a statement Friday, Kilpatrick's office called the City Council's resolution nonbinding and meaningless.
Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. also has said Detroit's City Charter provides for the mayor to be removed if convicted of a felony while in office. Cockrel would complete Kilpatrick's term if he vacates the mayor's office.
Michigan Election Law allows the governor to remove an elected official from office for a number of reasons, including official misconduct, willful neglect of duty, or a felony conviction, according to Granholm's office.
But those issues generally are resolved locally through charter provisions, recall elections, resignations, expiring terms in office or a court order.
Detroit's City Council has not filed a complaint against Kilpatrick, Granholm's spokeswoman Liz Boyd said Friday.
A prosecutor is expected to decide by mid-March if she will felony pursue perjury charges against Kilpatrick and Beatty from their testimony during the lawsuit filed by two former police officers.
A jury agreed with the officers who alleged they were fired or forced to resign for investigating claims that Kilpatrick used his security unit to cover up extramarital affairs.
The City Council approved the settlement amount, but says it was unaware of a confidential agreement linking it to the text messages.
There's just not enough popcorn on the planet for this.
Kilpatrick is a Democrat, therefore he will remain in office regardless of the offense.
He ain’t goin’ no where...
It is popular belief with Detroit blacks, he is a hero... A Mac daddy, pimpin’ dem hoes. They would riot if whitey kicked him out of office.
That's an excellent deduction on your part.
And just 4 days until to the March 4 primaries.
I’d rather Kilpatrick remove Granholm from office.
I think they should simultaneously remove each other......
Grandmole wouldn’t remove him from office even if it wasn’t an election year.
She is a gutless liberal pig and was elected by the Wayne Co (Detroit) machine.
RATS fear no evil... they embrace it!!! he will stay in office.
Could, but won’t.
Re: White female Democrat/black male Democrat/Election year
Prior to ending up on the losing side of a ballot initiative restricted affirmative action programs in Michigan, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said, “There will be affirmative action here today,” Kilpatrick said. “There will be affirmative action here tomorrow and there will be affirmative action in our state forever.”
Kwame-Salami will probably affirmatively act his way outa this, just like our first black president, the one who wondered wondered what the meaning of has-been had been, wriggled and jiggled his way out of his own personal perjuries.
I wish Granholm would remove herself from office.
Democrats don’t tend to fire Democrats regardless of offense.
In addition this hip hop mayor’s mother is the leader of the congressional black caucus. That spells it out more clearly.
Thought that might be relevant. Or maybe not...
...”They would riot if whitey kicked him out of office.”
I agree that it could turn into a situation where they’d choose kicking and screaming over quiet humility and sanity. And through it all, they’ll believe they’re retaining their dignity.
oh then he’s untouchable.
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