Detroit mayor invokes Fifth Amendment 82 times during Free Press deposition

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick this morning used his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 82 times to avoid answering deposition questions from a Detroit Free Press attorney.

The deposition was taken in the FOI lawsuit filed by the Free Press and the Detroit News, in which the newspapers are seeking more information about the city’s $8.4 million settlement in a police whistleblower case.  Kilpatrick was accused of improperly firing three police officers and, during the course of that case, he denied having an affair with his chief of staff, Christine Beatty. But the Free Press obtained text messages the pair had exchanged that indicated otherwise.

The mayor resigned Sept. 18 after pleading guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice for lying under oath in testimony relating to the settlement.

Kilpatrick had been expected to frequently invoke the Fifth Amendment privilege during this morning’s questioning because of "ongoing investigations," the Free Press reported.