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DETROIT – Former Mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick will be released from prison after serving seven years of his 28-year sentence for his role in a major corruption scandal after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence Tuesday night.
“President Trump commuted the sentence of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Malik Kilpatrick,” according to the White House. “This switch is strongly supported by prominent members of the Detroit community, Alveda King, Alice Johnson, Diamond and Silk, Pastor Paula White, Peter Karmanos, Sherry Gay-Dagnogo of the Michigan House of Representatives, Karen Whitsett of the House of Representatives. The Michigan House of Representatives and more than 30 religious leaders Kilpatrick has served approximately 7 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy and bribery scheme while holding public office.During his incarceration, Mr. Kilpatrick has taught public speaking. and has led Bible study groups with fellow inmates. ”
In October 2020, Kilpatrick’s sister, Ayanna, said she hoped the release would happen, but it never happened. “Due to serious health issues, we expect Kwame Kilpatrick to receive a grant for the FBOP’s compassionate release of COVID-19 this week,” tweeted at the time Ayanna Kilpatrick.
On Sunday night, Kilpatrick’s release date was still listed on January 18, 2037 in the Office of Prison’s directory of inmates. Earlier this year, Kilpatrick’s family believed he would be released on COVID-19 issues, but the request was denied by the Federal Prisons Office.
Kilpatrick, 50, is currently 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 fraud, mail fraud and cable fraud, among other charges. He has since fought against his sentence. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals had denied his original appeal of his conviction and sentence. In 2017 he filed another motion to leave the prison sentence, which was denied by a district court judge.
In 2019, the circuit’s sixth appellate court again denied it. In 2018, Kilpatrick wrote a letter to President Donald Trump, calling for his sentence to be commuted.
Re-read: 7 years ago: Kwame Kilpatrick is convicted of 24 federal crimes
In January 2020, billionaire Peter Karmanos, a friend of Kilpatrick, said he was working to get a presidential pardon for the former mayor. Karmanos spoke on the Charlie LeDuff podcast, hinting that Kilpatrick was the victim of a political conspiracy and that he will use his influence with President Donald Trump to free him from prison.
In February 2020, Detroit State Representative Sherry Gay-Dagnogo attended the national celebration of African American history at the White House after talks with President Trump’s team on the Kilpatrick issue. Gay-Dagnogo filed a letter signed by politicians and pastors across the state calling for the sentence to be commuted.
In May, despite his family’s belief that he would be released, the federal prison office rejected Kilpatrick’s request for early release because of COVID-19.
Kilpatrick was mayor of Detroit from 2002 to 2008. He resigned in 2008 after the corruption scandal. Prior to becoming mayor, Kilpatrick served in the Michigan House of Representatives.
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