Kwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Kilpatrick bragged about flying on Grosse Pointe Farms businessman Tony Soave’s private jet to the Bahamas during the nationwide blackout in 2003.
“This private plane is the s—,” Kilpatrick wrote in a text message sent to trusted aide Derrick Miller.
The text emerged as prosecutors questioned Miller about the mayor’s use of private jet flights provided by city contractors. Soave testified earlier he was extorted by Kilpatrick and provided almost $400,000 worth of free flights.
Kwame and Carlita Kilpatrick check in with their three sons at the American Airlines ticket counter at Detroit Metro on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008. (Velvet S. McNeil / The Detroit News)
The mayor’s family also traveled on Soave’s jets.
In April 2004, first lady Carlita Kilpatrick asked Miller to find out about the jet’s amenities ahead of a trip to Florida, where the Kilpatrick’s owned a vacation home.
“Does the plane we are on have a VCR or DVD player on it?” Carlita Kilpatrick wrote in an April 12, 2004, text message.
“Let me check,” Miller responded.
Miller also testified about flying for free to Bermuda with Kilpatrick, contractor pal Bobby Ferguson and others.
Kilpatrick was supposed to meet with the minister of tourism while in Bermuda.
“What about the rest of you?” Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Chutkow asked.
“The rest of us?” Miller asked. “We were just going.”
Chauncey Mayfield
Miller also testified about flying to Las Vegas in April 2007 aboard a private jet with Kilpatrick, indicted ex-Detroit Treasurer Jeff Beasley and others.
The trip cost more than $16,000 and was paid for by Detroit businessman Chauncey Mayfield, according to Miller.
Mayfield paid for the group to go golfing, travel by limousine, attend a Prince concert and get massages, prosecutors allege.
Mayfield was indicted last month in connection with an ongoing FBI probe of the city’s pension funds.
In all, Mayfield is accused of providing Kilpatrick and Beasley with $125,000 worth of private jet flights, concert tickets, steakhouse dinners, golf trips and VIP hotel rooms.