Detroit ex-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick gets pardon from Donald Trump

In one of his last presidential acts, President Donald Trump used his presidential pardon to grant clemency to 140 federal prisoners including former mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick.

Kwame Kilpatrick, who was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison on charges of extortion, racketeering and bribery in his city corruption case, served seven years of his total sentence before President Trump commuted the remainder of his sentence.

The White House issued a statement around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning that said: “President Trump commuted the sentence of the former Mayor of Detroit, Kwame Malik Kilpatrick. This commutation is strongly supported by prominent members of the Detroit community, Alveda King, Alice Johnson, Diamond and Silk, Pastor Paula White, Peter Karmanos, Representative Sherry Gay-Dagnogo of the Michigan House of Representatives, Representative Karen Whitsett of the Michigan House of Representatives, and more than 30 faith leaders. Mr. Kilpatrick has served approximately seven years in prison for his role in a racketeering and bribery scheme while he held public office. During his incarceration, Mr. Kilpatrick has taught public speaking classes and has led Bible Study groups with his fellow inmates.”

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, among others, reacted to the news that President Donald Trump commuted former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s sentence.

In a tweet, Mayor Mike Duggan praises the Trump Administration’s decision to commute the sentence of the former mayor.

“Kwame Kilpatrick is a person of great talent who still has much to contribute. I know how close he is to his three sons and I could not be happier for them being together again. This is a decision President Trump got right,” Duggan tweeted.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Matthew Schneider released this statement per the article:

“My position on the disgraced former Mayor of Detroit has not changed. Kwame Kilpatrick has earned every day he served in federal prison for the horrible crimes he committed against the People of Detroit. He is a notorious and unrepentant criminal. He remains convicted of 24 felonies. Kilpatrick has served only one-quarter of the sentence that was very appropriately imposed. Thankfully, under Michigan law, he cannot hold state or local public office for 20 years after his conviction.”

This story is still developing, stay tuned to michiganchronicle.com for further updates.

Megan Kirk and Sherri Kolade contributed to this story.

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