Kilpatrick fined $11,000 for misusing campaign money

DETROIT (WXYZ) - The problems keep piling up for ex-mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick.

Now Kilpatrick is being fined $11,000 by the state of Michigan.

In a Bureau of Elections decision, Kilpatrick is being fined $11,000 for misusing campaign money. It could have been a whole lot more.

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson filed suit wanting Kilpatrick to be fined $976,000, the same amount of campaign money that he used to pay his attorneys.

The money came out of his public campaign money. Campaign finance laws say that that money should be used for political or public situations not personal business.

Kilpatrick always maintained that the criminal perjury charges he faced were because of his attempt to cover up his personal relationship with Christine Beatty.

Johnson argued that Kilpatrick couldn't have it both ways, either the use of the money was office related or not.

According to the decision, Kilpatrick could use the campaign money to fight the charges concerning perjury, over the affair with Christine Beatty because they originated while he was mayor.

It also said he couldn't use the money to defend himself for assaulting the people who were trying to serve him with a subpoena, because that was personal.

Secretary of State Johnson released a statement saying the state needs stricter laws to uphold the integrity of the system.

This additional fine comes the same week that the federal government added more charges to the indictments against Kilpatrick.

He and Bobby Ferguson are now also charged with extortion for apparently forcing a towing vendor to pay more than a hundred thousand dollars to keep the city contract.

Kilpatrick still owes more than $800,000 in restitution to the city.