DETROIT — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick took to the airwaves on Wednesday to make his case for shedding the restitution he owes taxpayers as part of his public corruption conviction.

The current amount of restitution owed to Detroit is unclear, but a judge said in November 2024 that Kilpatrick owed $831,914. On Tuesday, Kilpatrick filed the request and said he does not owe the money and called the continuing demands for payment and an ongoing hunt for the money that can be seized by the government a "burden."

Kilpatrick, 55, called into WJR-AM (760)'s 'JR Morning Show with Chris Renwick, Lloyd Jackson, and Jamie Edmonds early Wednesday to defend his request to U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds to terminate the restitution.

"I see all of these articles about millions and millions," he said. "The restitution is under $155,000."

He added: "I don't have any embezzlement charges, any misuse of public funds charges. There's a lot of misinformation about what this is."

Kilpatrick was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and 23 other charges in 2013. The former mayor was accused of running a criminal enterprise out of Detroit City Hall, rigging bids and pocketing more than $840,000 in bribes and kickbacks.

Kilpatrick has lost repeated requests to limit or reduce the restitution as federal prosecutors have portrayed him as an unremorseful felon who has lied about his ability to pay. Court officials have said he has made minimal payments while leasing a $90,000 luxury SUV in 2023, while his wife's consulting firm bought an $807,000 home in Novi.

Kilpatrick said the court wants him to pay $1.5 million, but he argues that $3.6 million in assets were seized and liquidated in connection with the case against him and co-defendant Bobby Ferguson.

"Apply that $3.6 million to the $155,000, and I'm done," the former mayor told the radio show hosts.

"I'm just simply saying 'Let's turn the page,' in this case. This is an arbitrary figure; it's not tied to a single document."

He said he wants the judge in the case to uphold her earlier decision to apply liquidated assets to the restitution.

Two years ago, Edmunds refused to release Kilpatrick from court oversight and faulted Kilpatrick for denying that he was guilty of racketeering and other crimes.

"Such statements undermine society’s faith in our criminal justice system and do not show an acceptance of responsibility," Edmunds wrote in an order filed in federal court in Detroit.

The judge noted Kilpatrick "has a history of spending his money on a lavish lifestyle rather than paying off his obligations.

Kilpatrick told WJR that the media coverage about the restitution continues to keep him from moving on.

"I applied for theological school, and they read that the federal government is investigating Kilpatrick or his friends or something," he said. "And the school was like 'No, you can't come.'"

Kilpatrick said he was invited to join a national board, but it was rescinded after an article about the restitution appeared.

"I don't get in trouble now," he said. "I'm not involved in politics."

Kilpatrick told the radio show hosts that he has no plans to re-enter the arena and is focusing on expanding his ministry.

"Absolutely not," he said. "Everyone says I should give a political answer to that, so let me give one: No."

He said he doesn't know if the desire to hold office has been taken out of him, but "when I was a kid, and I got a whipping, I didn't do that thing again. This was a major whooping," he chuckled. "This hurt."

Kilpatrick said he wants to continue to help men and women get out of prison and get a second chance at life. He said he also plans to set up a nonprofit to help the communities in Detroit, Atlanta, and Dallas.

He previously was ordered to pay more than $1.7 million in restitution, an amount that was reduced by assets and money seized from Ferguson, and after Kilpatrick paid almost $9,100.

In his court filing, Kilpatrick said he is invited to preach, teach, and speak across America, Africa and the Caribbean.

He also admits that he has moved back to Michigan after living in the South since President Donald Trump commuted his 28-year corruption sentence in January 2021.

"There's so much misinformation," Kilpatrick said. "People think it's tied to stolen money or misuse of public funds. I was charged, convicted, and did the time that I did and came out, and I made a life for myself.

"It's time to move forward. I'm just saying, 'Let's all move forward.'"

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