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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 late Tuesday night.
“President Trump has commuted the verdict of former Detroit mayor Kwame Malik Kilpatrick,” the White House said. “This commutation 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 Michigan House of Representatives, and more than 30 faith leaders. Mr. Kilpatrick has served approximately 7 years in prison for his role in an extortion and bribery scheme while in public office. During his incarceration, Mr. Kilpatrick taught public speaking and led Bible study groups with fellow inmates. “
In October 2020, Kilpatrick’s sister Ayanna said she expected the release to happen but it never happened. “Due to serious health challenges, we expect Kwame Kilpatrick to receive a grant this week for COVID-19 compassionate release from the FBOP,” Ayanna Kilpatrick tweeted at the time.
As of Sunday night, Kilpatrick’s release date was still on January 18, 2037, on the Bureau of Prison’s list of inmates. Earlier this year, Kilpatrick’s family thought he would be released over concerns about COVID-19, but the request was denied by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Kilpatrick, 50, is currently serving a 28-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Oakdale, Louisiana.
Kilpatrick was sentenced to 28 years in prison in 2013 after being convicted of extortion, postal fraud and telegraphic fraud, among other things. He has been fighting his sentence ever since. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals had dismissed his original appeal against his conviction and conviction. He filed another motion to lift his prison sentence in 2017, which was denied by a district court.
In 2019 he was again banned 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 was convicted of 24 federal offenses
In January 2020, billionaire Peter Karmanos, a longtime friend of Kilpatrick, said he was working to get the ex-mayor a presidential pardon. Speaking on Charlie LeDuff’s podcast, Karmanos suggested 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 Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo at the national African American History celebration at the White House after discussions with President Trump’s team on the Kilpatrick issue. Gay-Dagnogo brought with him a letter signed by politicians and pastors across the state asking for the sentence to be commuted.
Despite his family’s conviction that he would be released, Kilpatrick’s request for parole for COVID-19 was rejected by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in May.
Kilpatrick was mayor of Detroit from 2002 to 2008. He resigned in 2008 after the corruption scandal. Before becoming mayor, Kilpatrick served on the Michigan State House of Representative.
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