DETROIT – Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick accused federal prosecutors Wednesday of bullying his family, chilling business opportunities and forcing him to remove his children from school amid government attempts to find and seize money the corrupt politician owes taxpayers as part of his 2013 racketeering conspiracy conviction.
Kilpatrick, 55, aired the grievances in a federal court filing while asking Chief U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy to release a hold on more than $13,000 prosecutors discovered earlier this year as part of a broader effort to find money that can be applied toward $823,649 in restitution. Kilpatrick owes the money after being convicted in 2013 of heading a racketeering conspiracy in Detroit City Hall.
The court filing marked a dramatic escalation of a prolonged fight by prosecutors to find money belonging to Kilpatrick. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit has portrayed Kilpatrick as a remorseless crook living a life of luxury in a $1 million home and driving expensive vehicles while failing to make a substantial dent in the restitution…