Official: Plea deal near for Detroit mayor

DETROIT (AP) — Prosecutors accusing Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of lying on the witness stand to cover up an extramarital affair with a top aide said Wednesday that a plea deal is expected soon in the case, though the mayor’s attorneys insisted one had not been struck yet.

The surprise development came as Gov. Jennifer Granholm heard evidence in an extraordinary hearing that could result in the married mayor’s removal from office. The outcome of the criminal case does not necessarily bear on the governor’s hearing.

The city council is trying to have Kilpatrick removed, saying it was misled when it approved an $8.4 million settlement last year with fired police officers.

Council members say they didn’t know the deal carried secret provisions to keep a lid on steamy text messages between Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty, who was his chief of staff, on city-issued pagers.

The office of Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said Wednesday that an agreement in the perjury case was expected soon, first saying it would come that afternoon and later saying it would be this morning.

Kilpatrick attorney James Thomas, who was at the governor’s hearing Wednesday, agreed it was “apparent that they are close” to a plea deal but said it was not a sure thing.