Trump commutes sentence of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick after 7 years in prison

DETROIT – Former Mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick will be released from prison after serving seven years of a 28-year sentence for his role in a major corruption scandal after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence on Tuesday night.

“President Trump commuted the sentence of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Malik Kilpatrick,” according to the White House. “This switching is strongly supported by prominent members of the Detroit community, Alveda King, Alice Johnson, Diamond and Silk, Pastor Paula White, Peter Karmanos, Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo of the Michigan House of Representatives, Rep. Karen Whitsett of the House Michigan Representatives and more than 30 religious leaders. Mr. Kilpatrick served approximately 7 years in prison for his role in a extortion and bribery scheme while in public office. During his imprisonment, Mr. Kilpatrick taught oratory classes and led Bible study groups with his fellow inmates. “

In October 2020, Kilpatrick’s sister Ayanna said that she expected the release to happen, but it never did. “Due to serious health problems, we expect Kwame Kilpatrick to receive a donation for the compassionate release of the FBOP’s COVID-19 this week,” Ayanna Kilpatrick tweeted at the time.

As of Sunday night, Kilpatrick’s release date was still listed for January 18, 2037 in the Bureau of Prison inmate directory. Earlier this year, Kilpatrick’s family believed he would be released for COVID-19 reasons, but the request was denied by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Kilpatrick, 50, is serving a 28-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Oakdale, Louisiana.

Kilpatrick was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison in 2013 after being convicted of extortion, postal fraud and electronic fraud, among other charges. He has been fighting his sentence ever since. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals denied its original appeal of its conviction and sentence. He filed another motion in 2017 to overturn his prison sentence, which was denied by a district judge.

In 2019, he was again denied by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2018, Kilpatrick wrote a letter to President Donald Trump, asking for his sentence to be commuted.

Read back: 7 years ago: Kwame Kilpatrick is convicted of 24 federal criminal charges

In January 2020, billionaire Peter Karmanos, Kilpatrick’s longtime friend, said he was working to get the former mayor’s presidential pardon. Karmanos spoke on the Charlie LeDuff podcast, implying that Kilpatrick was the victim of a political conspiracy and that he will use his influence with President Donald Trump to release him from prison.

In February 2020, Detroit state deputy Sherry Gay-Dagnogo attended the national celebration of African American history at the White House after discussions with President Trump’s team on the Kilpatrick issue. Gay-Dagnogo brought a letter signed by politicians and pastors across the state asking for the sentence to be commuted.

In May, despite his family’s belief that he would be released, Kilpatrick’s request for early release due to COVID-19 was rejected by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Kilpatrick was mayor of Detroit from 2002 to 2008. He resigned in 2008 after the corruption scandal. Before serving as mayor, Kilpatrick served in the Michigan State House of Representatives.

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