Kwame Kilpatrick describes political consulting work, talks corruption on conservative talk show in Detroit
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit's ex-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick isn't sure if people should listen to him.
Speaking on a conservative radio station Monday morning, he was asked by host Justin Barlcay why people should believe him.
"I don't know if they should believe me," he answered.
Kilpatrick, who held office as a Democrat in Detroit before receiving a prison sentence on public corruption charges, will speak at an Oakland County Republican Party dinner this week. It's another twist in what's been an unconventional political season.
Since leaving prison, Kilpatrick has opened a ministry outside Atlanta, Georgia. He's also doing political consulting for candidates running for office.
"When I talk to people, I truly talk to them about character and integrity," he said.
One story Kilpatrick told was about helping someone running for state senate in Louisiana - describing the man as amazing.
"He could talk about diversification of the economic base of Louisiana. He could talk about the politics. He could talk to people - I saw him engage people in the public space," he said. "But after spending a few hours with him, I told him the first thing he has to stop doing is cheating on his wife."
Shaken by the question, the candidate - who Kilpatrick did not name - asked him how he could know that.
Addicts, alcoholics, and "(those) who have experienced life like that, they can see it before others see it," he said.
Kilpatrick was found guilty by a jury on charges of racketeering, extortion, mail fraud, tax evasion, and more in 2013. He was given a 28-year sentence in federal prison, spending about eight years behind bars before his sentence was commuted by former President Donald Trump at the end of his term in 2021.
Kilpatrick has since become a supporter of Trump, though he doesn't identify as a Democrat or Republican, he said in the interview.
During Monday's interview, he said he couldn't "imagine" what the former president goes through, living under media and political pressure from "all over."
"Everything has a slant toward not liking him, you can see it," he said.
While he admits he isn't sure if people should believe him, he says he grew up a lot in prison. When asked about how to fix corruption in Michigan, he said the target needs to be the people or the processes that are perpetuating such problems.
Trump made $3M mistake in commuting paperwork for Kwame Kilpatrick
When Kwame Kilpatrick was originally sentenced, he was ordered to pay $4.5 million to the city of Detroit but that was later amended. However, his commutation paperwork listed the original number.