Ayanna Kilpatrick testifies before grand jury

DETROIT (WXYZ) - As Ayanna Kilpatrick left the federal courthouse after testifying in front of a grand jury, Action News Investigator Heather Catallo asked her: “Ms. Kilpatrick, are you concerned you’re going to be indicted?” Kilpatrick turned abruptly and walked away, while her attorney said, “She’s not going to comment.” Eventually her lawyer, Jerome Barney, told us the former mayor’s sister is not a target of the grand jury.

The Action News Investigators watched as Ayanna Kilpatrick entered the grand jury area inside the federal courthouse around 9:30 Wednesday morning. While grand juries operate in secret, sources tell Action News that there is only one reason someone would enter the grand jury area like this, and that would be to testify.

It appears she spent about four and a half hours in front of the grand jury. Her husband, Daniel Ferguson, brought her lunch, and told reporters this is the second or third time she’s been to the grand jury. According to its last tax filing, Ayanna Kilpatrick was listed as the president of Kwame Kilpatrick’s controversial civic fund. The grand jury recently indicted the former mayor on 19 counts of tax and fraud crimes, accusing Kwame Kilpatrick of using the non-profit like a personal bank account.

Ayanna Kilpatrick has also been involved in other non-profit funds associated with the ex-mayor, including his Next Vision Fund.

Well-known Detroit pastor Edgar Vann also made an appearance at the federal courthouse Wednesday. Around 1:00 pm, Vann and his attorney arrived at the grand jury assembly room, and they were ushered behind closed doors by one of the federal prosecutors handling the on-going corruption probe. The Second Ebenezer Church’s website refers to Vann as Bishop Edgar Vann II, and he used to be on the Detroit Police Commission. He, too, insists he is not a target of the probe.

As for Ayanna Kilpatrick, there’s no way to know for certain what she testified about – it could involve the Civic Fund, but we also know that her father, Bernard Kilpatrick, is under investigation. The fact that she has returned again to appear in front of the grand jury could indicate that this part of the corruption probe is winding down.