Hope springs eternal for Kwame Kilpatrick's supporters. Even after a dispiriting setback on getting the former Detroit mayor released early from federal prison, they still believe there's a way to get this done.
Kwame Kilpatrick at a happier time (Photo: Twitter)
M.L. Elrick of the Freep reports:
Less than a day after federal prison officials denied the dream of Kwame Kilpatrick and friends who expected the former Detroit mayor to be freed 21 years early, supporters vowed to fight on — even alleging a conspiracy.
Sabrina Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Ebony Foundation, which first announced Kilpatrick's imminent release, said Wednesday: "There was a case manager on April 17 who went on notice and recommended one path and yesterday that path was reversed by somebody who stepped in over the weekend."
Multiple sources assure Elrick they were told Kilpatrick was on a path to be released, due to being at high risk for Covid-19 in a prison that had a high number of cases. But something changed over the weekend, perhaps having to do with the warden of the Louisiana facility where Kilpatrick is confined.
Meanwhile, supporters hopes to regroup and find a way to get the former mayor, serving a 28-year sentence for multiple crimes while in office, out of prison. A presidential pardon may be a longshot, but not out of the question:
That request for commutation of his sentence was still pending as of May 1, the most recent date for which information is available.
