Former Detroit Mayor Found Guilty on Multiple Counts by Erb - Assignment Example

Erb explains that Kilpatrick had been arrested thrice on different charges during his tenure as mayor. Kilpatrick’s corruption involved other people including his chief of staff and his father (Erb p1).

Why the conduct was unethical
Kilpatrick’s conduct was unethical because it involved behavior that did not match the expectations of his status and position. As a mayor, he was supposed to be a steward of public funds upholding accountability and responsibility but he spent public funds recklessly. The people of Detroit had entrusted him with the task of looking after their welfare but he did not live up to his mandate because he worsened Detroit’s economic crisis. The conduct was also unethical because Kilpatrick repeated crimes for which he was previously convicted thus showing a lack of remorse. It was unethical for Kilpatrick to have used racialism as his excuse when he should have been taking responsibility for his mistakes. It is all the more unethical for him to have been spending public funds in the name of living up to his image as a hip-hop mayor when in the actual sense it appears like he was doing it selfishly (Erb p3).

What happened to Kilpatrick
Kilpatrick was taken to court, several times, and tried for charges that were filed against him. Some of the charges included using public funds to pay expensive dinners, pay college expenses for relatives and leasing a Lincoln Navigator. In a 2007 lawsuit, Kilpatrick was tried and convicted of having an illicit affair with his chief of staff, Christine Beatty and was found guilty. He was indicted for eight criminal charges and he agreed to serve one hundred and twenty days in jail and pay one million dollars as restitution to Detroit. In addition, the sentence directed that Kilpatrick give up his law license and that he should not seek public office for a period of five years (Erb p7).

After this trial, a judge ordered Kilpatrick back to court for charges that he was hiding some of his assets in order not to make restitution. Kilpatrick faced nineteen charges for fraud and tax evasion. Erb explains that Kilpatrick evaded paying his due taxes by filing false tax returns and income. He also faced thirteen charges of mail and wire fraud during his fundraising activities for the charitable Kilpatrick Civic Fund. The court sentenced Kilpatrick to twenty years of imprisonment for all the crimes he had committed (Erb p10).
Conclusion

Kilpatrick’s corruption is a typical case relating to public official ethics. The court trials and sentences are an example of some of the steps that can be taken against people who violate public official ethics. Read More