Detroit Mayor Charged with purgury over sex scandel

DETROIT - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a one-time rising star and Detroit's youngest elected leader, was charged Monday with perjury and other counts after sexually explicit text messages contradicted his sworn denials of an affair with a top aide. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also charged the popular yet polarizing 37-year-old mayor with obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. Kilpatrick could face up to 15 years in prison and be expelled from office if convicted.

Here is a time line of the events as they unfolded

2002: A rumored, but never proven, wild party takes place at Manoogian Mansion, the Detroit mayor's home.

April 30, 2003: Exotic dancer Tamara Greene, 27, is shot to death inside her car. She is rumored to have danced at the Manoogian Mansion party.

May 9, 2003: Detroit Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown is fired by Kilpatrick for conducting unauthorized investigations.

June 2003: Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox clears Kilpatrick after a five-week investigation into the rumored Manoogian party, saying he has found no evidence of such a party. Michigan State Police investigators also say they have found no evidence of wrongdoing following claims of a cover-up.

Oct. 13, 2005: Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announces plans to conduct an independent review of Greene's death.

Oct. 21, 2005: A jury orders the city to pay $200,000 to former police Lt. Alvin Bowman. The jury rules that Bowman's transfer was in retaliation for his probe into the alleged Manoogian party and Greene's death.

Aug. 28, 2007: Kilpatrick Chief of Staff Christine Beatty testifies in a whistle-blowers' trial that she did not have a romantic or intimate relationship with the mayor in 2002 and 2003.

Aug. 29, 2007: Kilpatrick denies under oath that he had an extramarital affair with Beatty in 2002 and 2003.

Sept. 11, 2007: A jury awards $6.5 million to two former police officers in the lawsuit, capping the three-week trial. Kilpatrick vows to appeal.

Sept. 28, 2007: Michael Stefani, attorney for the officers, subpoenas SkyTel, the city's communications provider, for text messages transmitted on Beatty's city-issued paging device.

Oct. 5, 2007: Stefani gets the text messages.

Oct. 17, 2007: The city and the whistle-blowers reach a settlement worth $8.4 million. It includes a clause referring to the text messages.

Oct. 19, 2007: The Detroit Free Press files a Freedom of Information request to see the settlement.

Oct. 27, 2007: Kilpatrick rejects the terms proposed for the settlement from Oct. 17.

Nov. 1, 2007: Kilpatrick approves the terms and conditions of an agreement approved Oct. 23 by the City Council. One part is for the public to see — not mentioning the text messages — but the other remains confidential.

Nov. 13, 2007: The Free Press files a second FOIA. It and The Detroit News later file a lawsuit seeking documents.

Jan. 23: The Free Press posts stories on its Web site, citing text messages that allude to Kilpatrick and Beatty having a physical relationship in 2002 and 2003 and that they misled jurors about Brown's firing. It is unclear how the newspaper obtained the text messages.

Jan. 25: Worthy says she has opened an investigation into whether Kilpatrick and Beatty committed perjury during the whistle-blowers' trial. She says the independent investigation "will be fair, impartial and thorough."

Jan. 30: Kilpatrick delivers a televised public apology about the text-messaging sex scandal from his church with his wife, Carlita, at his side.

Feb. 5: Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Robert Colombo Jr. orders that documents detailing the confidential settlement agreement from the whistle-blowers' lawsuit be made public. The mayor's office later appeals that ruling.

Feb. 8: Kilpatrick gives a radio interview saying he believes he's "on an assignment from God" and vows not to resign as Detroit mayor. Beatty's resignation as chief of staff becomes official.

Feb. 13: The Michigan Court of Appeals agrees with Colombo's ruling.

Feb. 15: Kilpatrick's attorneys appeal the Court of Appeals ruling to the state Supreme Court.

Feb. 19: The Detroit City Council asks the state Supreme Court to refuse Kilpatrick's request to stop the release of the documents.

Feb. 27: The Michigan Supreme Court declines to hear an appeal. The documents are released.

March 11: Kilpatrick gives his annual State of City address in which he singles out City Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. for not sitting on the stage with him. Cockrel would become mayor if Kilpatrick leaves office. Kilpatrick also uses the N-word to describe threats he and his family have received and describes opposition and media coverage as a "lynch mob mentality."

March 12: Cox calls on Kilpatrick to resign, accusing him of race-baiting during the State of the City address.

March 13: Cox says his office will look into new claims concerning the rumored Manoogian Mansion party.

March 18: The City Council votes 7-1 on a nonbinding resolution asking Kilpatrick to resign.

March 21: Colombo rules some text messages that indicate a romantic relationship between Kilpatrick and Beatty may be made public.

March 24: Worthy authorizes a 12-count criminal information against Kilpatrick and Beatty on charges including perjury and obstruction of justice.