Court Allows Release of Kilpatrick Text Messages

DETROIT (CN) - The Michigan Court of Appeals declined to stop the release of sealed text messages between former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his then-chief of staff, Christine Beatty, who faces criminal charges for her testimony in a whistleblower trial last year.

Kilpatrick and Beatty exchanged thousands of text messages during their affair, some suggesting improper reasons for firing the deputy police chief of internal affairs, who led the investigation of whistleblower complaints against Kilpatrick.

Beatty was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice for her testimony at trial. She resigned in January after the scandal of her affair with the mayor broke.

A Wayne County Circuit Court judge ordered the text messages attached to a court filing to be made public, but Beatty's attorneys appealed.

"The motion for stay is denied," the appellate court wrote.

The Wayne County prosecutor's office said the messages will be available at noon Thursday.

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