DETROIT – Kwame Kilpatrick says he's not worried about getting in trouble over $2,000 he received from a Chicago pastor.
"This wouldn't be a news story anywhere else but with Detroit and but with Kwame Kilpatrick," he told Local 4 Tuesday morning.
Local 4 has learned that Kilpatrick was wired the money in December from Pastor Corey Brooks.
"He didn't render any sort of work for it. It was a gift. It was a benevolence gift," Brooks told MyFoxChicago. "It was a Christmas gift."
Brooks said he sent the money after getting a letter from Kilpatrick. The letter said Kilpatrick's legal fees had rendered him broke.
In 2008, Kilpatrick was ordered to pay $1 million to Detroit as part of a conviction for lying under oath in a police whistleblower case. He still owes the city more than $800,000.
He's required to inform the court of any income, including gifts. The Michigan Department of Corrections confirmed to Local 4 that Kilpatrick didn't report anything in Decemeber.
"There's nothing to it," Kilpatrick said.
Kilpatrick and Brooks have been chatting about the money on Twitter:
@KwameAndFamily: Sending a big THANK YOU to Pastor @CoreyBBrooks and The New Beginnings Church Family in Chicago. Carlita & I are humbled by your generosity.
@KwameAndFamily: @CoreyBBrooks Sorry that u had to deal w/the tremendous invasion of your privacy. Please continue to fight the good fight for our children!
@CoreyBBrooks: Thank you @fox32news for being on top of the story and providing me with the information about the invasion of my privacy. #Grateful
@CoreyBBrooks: Thankfully @fox32news informed me that my personal info was shared by a Clerk at Walmart in DET trying 2bring attention to @KwameAndFamily
@CoreyBBrooks: When @fox32news showed up, I thought we were going to talk about our 2 members that were murdered, but they asked me about a Christmas Gift.
@KwameAndFamily: @KwameAndFamily
@wfmatix Absolutely Good Brother! Thank you so much for the shout and support. Much love to you and your family.