Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick accuses prosecutors of

In a continued fight over the restitution owed to the city of Detroit, former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick accuses federal prosecutors of “bullying” in their attempt to collect money following his 2013 conviction.

Federal authorities attempted to seize $13,167 from a Comerica Bank account after it was discovered this year. According to federal authorities, the account was listed in the name of Pathfinder Consulting LLC under Kilpatrick’s name.

In response, Kilpatrick filed a motion to object to a garnishment order on April 1, claiming that he does not own or manage the account and that his wife, LaTicia Kilpatrick, is the rightful holder. Kilpatrick claims that despite telling prosecutors that he did not own the account, authorities still put a hold on it.

“The only reason that this account was frozen and made a part of the garnishment process is because the federal authorities doctored and deformed the court order to have movant’s name on it, Kwame Kilpatrick, and the Pathfinder Consulting Firm bank account number,” read the motion. “They knowingly misguided the court and Comerica Bank with their order for these funds. They intentionally misled the court by not putting LaTicia Kilptrick on the order because they absolutely knew that it was not my account.”

CBS News Detroit reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for comment Thursday night and is awaiting a response.

This comes more than a month after Kilpatrick agreed to pay the $823,649 in restitution following his 2013 conviction on racketeering, bribery, extortion and other charges. Records show Kilpatrick agreed that any pension benefits and other forms of income would be garnished.

Kilpatrick was also approved for a payment plan. 

In his latest motion, Kilpatrick claimed that prosecutors wanted to pull funds from the account and asked him to speak to his wife about it. Kilpatrick claims that the freezing of the Comerica account, his inability to access his “financial resources” and documents being leaked resulted in him having to remove his children from school and losing out on speaking engagements.

“I have constantly maintained that I am not involved in the management, executive decision-making, nor any banking issues concerning her business or financial affairs,” Kilpatrick wrote.

He later wrote, “LaTicia is not under any federal court jurisdiction, has never committed a crime, nor is she currently involved in any matter with any state or federal court … This bullying at best, but much more akin to extortion.”

Kilpatrick also claims that prosecutors violated a stipulated agreement regarding the restitution he owed. He says a percentage of his retirement check was agreed to go toward the outstanding balance, and prosecutors would unfreeze the account where the check was being deposited. However, he claims prosecutors failed to submit information to the court so the account could be released.

“Instead of honoring the court ordered stipulated agreement, the United States Attorney took two whole months of retirement funds and left the account with a ZERO balance. Which is not only count to the court order, but much more wicked in its intent, immorally leaving [Kilpatrick’s] family without any of their own money, and maliciously executed,” Kilpatrick wrote.

In the midst of a restitution battle, records show that Kilpatrick is at risk of losing a home in Novi over more than $50,000 in unpaid property taxes. Records show that taxes were not paid in 2024 and 2025.