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Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick asks president for pardon in blog post

Kilpatrick describes struggles of being in federal prison

Kwame Kilpatrick (WDIV)

DETROIT – Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick wrote that he is praying for a pardon from the president of the United States in a blog post on the "Free Kwame Project" website.

"I pray that I will receive the opportunity for pardon/clemency from the President of the United States as well," Kilpatrick wrote.

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Kilpatrick was moved to a prison in Philadelphia last week. He is serving 28 years in prison after being convicted of corruption in 2013.

He isn't scheduled to be released until Aug. 1, 2037.

In the post, he writes that he has been behind bars for seven years, including five and a half years in federal prison.

Kilpatrick said he fought to prove his innocence early in his sentence, but "the more I pressed, the more enslaved I became."

Click here to read the full blog post.

Kilpatrick wrote that he has been "punished severely. I have been chained like a wild animal, shackled around my ankles, waist and wrist."

He said he is mentally, emotionally and spiritually ready to go home.

"My family has forgiven me," Kilpatrick wrote. "I have asked the people of the city of Detroit for forgiveness many times, and most Detroiters have forgiven me, as well."

Kilpatrick is seeking more than $54 million from the city of Detroit. He filed a motion to have his sentence vacated, set aside or corrected.

The disgraced mayor resigned from office in 2008 after pleading guilty to perjury. He was found guilty on 24 of 30 counts, including racketeering.

Kilpatrick was also ordered to pay  $1,637,087 in restitution. He told the court in February that he doesn't believe he should have to pay because it’s impossible to calculate the amount of money he took from taxpayers.


About the Author
Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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