Mayoral troubles

Kilpatrick released

Detroit —- Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick emerged from jail Tuesday after a 99-day sentence. Kilpatrick, 38, was about 25 pounds lighter than when he went to jail in October. He made no statement but his new defense attorney, Willie E. Gary, said, “He’s not bitter. He said he learned a lot.”

Kilpatrick was headed to a job interview Wednesday with an unnamed company at an undisclosed location in Texas. His wife, Carlita, and three young sons had already left Michigan.

The Detroit Free Press reported last year about text messages that showed Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff and lover, Christine Beatty, lied during a police whistleblower case when they denied having an affair and trying to fire a deputy police chief investigating the mayor’s inner circle. The pair’s attempts to cover up the lies cost taxpayers more than $9 million and prompted the Wayne County prosecutor to file 15 felony charges against them.

Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two felony perjury charges and no contest to a felony assault charge. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail and five years’ probation, ordered to pay $1 million in restitution, give up his law license, resign and agree not to run for public office for five years. Beatty pleaded guilty to perjury and is serving a 90-day sentence.

Illegal gifts trial delayed

Baltimore, Md. —- Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon’s first court appearance on theft and perjury charges over allegedly illegal gifts was delayed Tuesday. A judge waived her arraignment because her attorneys have already entered appearances on her behalf.

Attorneys have asked that Dixon’s case be assigned to the same judge as the cases of City Councilwoman Helen H. Holton and developer Ronald H. Lipscomb, who are each charged with bribery. All three were indicted after a lengthy probe by the State Prosecutor’s Office.

The mayor is accused of stealing gift cards intended for needy families and failing to disclose gifts from Lipscomb, her former boyfriend, on ethics forms. She was indicted on 12 counts, including perjury and felony theft.

Lipscomb, who has received tax breaks from the city for multimillion-dollar projects, is not accused of bribing the mayor. However, he is charged with bribing Holton in exchange for her support for the tax breaks.

None of the three has yet been required to enter a plea.

Not guilty plea entered

Hartford, Conn. —- Mayor Eddie Perez pleaded not guilty Tuesday to bribery and other charges and asked a judge for an immediate trial to clear his name. Perez, 51, is accused of hiring a city contractor, Carlos Costa, to do $40,000 worth of renovations to his home and then paying only half the amount —- and only after he was confronted by state investigators in 2007.

The three-term Democrat has been free on a promise to appear in court since his arrest last week on charges of receiving a bribe, fabricating physical evidence and conspiracy to fabricate evidence. A judge set a March 3 hearing. Perez has said it was a mistake to hire Costa, but insists he did nothing illegal and has no plans to step down.