DETROIT — A defiant Mayor Kwame Kilpat rick rejected the City Council’s call Tuesday for him to resign because of accusations that he lied under oath about not having an affair.
“You take a whole day to discuss an issue like this,” he said. “My reaction is: This is over. It has no effect. It’s not binding. Let’s get back to work.”
The resolution, passed 7-1, amounted to a “no-confidence” vote because the council lacks the power to force Kilpatrick to step down.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is investigating whether the mayor and former chief of staff Christine Beatty lied under oath when they testified in a whistle-blowers’ lawsuit that they had not had a physical relationship.
Kilpatrick has been dogged by media reports about steamy text messages the two exchanged that suggest a romantic relationship. Beatty resigned in February.
