Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick says feds 'bullying' family amid restitution battle

Robert Snell, The Detroit News on Apr 1, 2026

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DETROIT — Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick accused federal prosecutors Wednesday of bullying his family, chilling business opportunities and forcing him to remove his children from school amid government attempts to find and seize money the corrupt politician owes taxpayers as part of his 2013 racketeering conspiracy conviction.

Kilpatrick, 55, aired the grievances in a federal court filing while asking Chief U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy to release a hold on more than $13,000 prosecutors discovered earlier this year as part of a broader effort to find money that can be applied toward $823,649 in restitution. Kilpatrick owes the money after being convicted in 2013 of heading a racketeering conspiracy in Detroit City Hall.

The court filing marked a dramatic escalation of a prolonged fight by prosecutors to find money belonging to Kilpatrick. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit has portrayed Kilpatrick as a remorseless crook living a life of luxury in a $1 million home and driving expensive vehicles while failing to make a substantial dent in the restitution.

Kilpatrick filed the letter two weeks after a Comerica Bank official responded to a court order seeking to seize assets belonging to Kilpatrick by disclosing an account contained $13,167.

The account is in the name of Pathfinder Consulting Firm LLC, a corporation that also owns a 3,874-square-foot, five-bed, four-and-a-half-bath home in Novi. Kilpatrick's wife, LaTicia Kilpatrick, is the resident agent of Pathfinder, but prosecutors have argued the corporation is merely a nominee and that the money and property belong to Kwame Kilpatrick.

"The freezing of this account and the lack of access to my financial resources for nearly four months stands as a travesty of justice," Kilpatrick wrote. "Not only have we had to remove our children from school. But the deleterious effect of the leaked documents, conversations about sealed documents filed to the court has worked to chill invitations for speaking engagements.

"This appears to be based on selective, even malicious enforcement rather than genuine restitution efforts," he added.

Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Attorney's Office, declined to comment.

Kilpatrick filed the letter amid a series of financial problems that raise questions about his ability to honor a secret deal he reached with the government in February to pay restitution. The Detroit News this week reported his family home in Novi is on the cusp of foreclosure for failure to pay more than $50,000 in property taxes, fees and late penalties.

And since President Donald Trump commuted Kilpatrick's 28-year prison sentence in early 2021, the Internal Revenue Service has slapped him with a tax lien. The lien says Kilpatrick owes $634,655 in unpaid income taxes, according to Georgia Superior Court records obtained by The News.

Kilpatrick faulted prosecutors for dragging his wife into the restitution fight. LaTicia Kilpatrick has owned the business bank account since 2017 and has no obligation to pay the restitution, he wrote.

"I have consistently maintained that I am not involved in the management, executive decision-making, nor any banking issues concerning her business or financial affairs," Kilpatrick wrote.

"LaTicia is not under any federal court jurisdiction, has never committed a crime, nor is she currently involved in any matter with any state or federal court," he added. "This is bullying at best, but much more akin to extortion."

The Comerica Bank account discovery is the second time in recent years that prosecutors have uncovered money while pursuing Kilpatrick.

Two years ago, a federal judge let prosecutors take $6,704 belonging to Kwame Kilpatrick and apply the money toward the restitution debt.

The money was found by state Treasury officials and included overpayments to the city of Detroit, refunds, outstanding checks and vendor checks from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc., a not-for-profit group that oversees U.S. broker-dealers and protects investors.

Restitution was imposed as part of Kilpatrick's 2013 racketeering conspiracy conviction after he was accused of running a criminal enterprise out of Detroit City Hall, rigging bids and pocketing more than $840,000 in bribes and kickbacks.

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