Labor leader: Unions may ask for Mayor Kilpatrick's resignation

The Detroit Free Press reports:

The heads of 17 Detroit municipal unions may ask Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to resign or face a recall effort, one of them said Thursday, following a Free Press report that Kilpatrick and his chief of staff lied under oath at a police whistle-blower trial last summer.

The trial's outcome cost the city $9 million.

The revelations rocked City Hall, where officials weathered angry phone calls from residents and City Council members started poring over the city's charter to study under what conditions a mayor can be removed.

The report also prompted heated debate across the metro area.

This morning, many eyes will be on Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who has scheduled a news conference to discuss a possible criminal investigation into the apparent lies under oath by Kilpatrick and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty. Legal experts say previously secret text messages between the two may support perjury or obstruction of justice charges against the pair.

Alternatively, Worthy, who has declined comment so far, could ask for the appointment of a special prosecutor by state Attorney General Mike Cox. Cox, who was in Washington on Thursday to testify before a Senate committee on an unrelated matter, told reporters that he had read accounts of the scandal but wasn't planning any investigation.

"Usually the county prosecutors get first crack at that," he said. "I'm really not interested in stepping on any jurisdictional toes."

Meanwhile, Kilpatrick, who dropped out of view Wednesday, was spotted with his family at their home in Florida. A spokesman said the Kilpatricks planned to return to Detroit on Thursday night.

John Riehl, president of the politically powerful American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 207, which represents 900 municipal workers, said Thursday he has talked with fellow labor leaders and they will consider today whether they will ask Kilpatrick to leave office.

"Everybody hopes this is the end of his career. He's done the city enough damage," Riehl said. "If one of our people had done this kind of misconduct, we would be fired."

Kilpatrick and AFSCME have clashed in the past about attempts by the mayor to win concessions from city workers and privatize some city services. AFSCME represents about 5,000 of the city's 15,000 workers.

The employee unions pack political muscle, and could employ strong networking and fund-raising abilities if they launch a recall campaign

The unions pick their spot!