Just-released text messages displayed in federal court Friday appear to confirm Kwame Kilpatrick met his fundraiser inside the mayor’s office in August 2003.
An FBI special agent read the texts, seized through a search warrant, that show Emma Bell visited Kilpatrick on Aug. 6, 2003.
Bell says she delivered kickbacks to Kilpatrick inside the mayor’s office but defense lawyer James C. Thomas has questioned the story.
DeDan Milton
“Emma wanted to stop in later for @ 5-10 minutes max, what should I tell her,” Kilpatrick aide DeDan Milton texted Kilpatrick.
Milton is a longtime friend and executive assistant to Kilpatrick who admitted taking about $16,000 in kickbacks in connection with two city land sales. He was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and is expected to testify for prosecutors during the corruption trial.
Hours later, another Kilpatrick aided texted the mayor.
“Emma Bell is here,” according to the text from staffer Samara Bradley.
“Tell her to come to Chris office,” Kilpatrick texted the aide.
Chris is an apparent reference to the mayor’s mistress and chief of staff, Christine Beatty.