by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
April 2, 2026
Kilpatrick says prosecutors are wrong to freeze accounts related to his family.
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has filed a complaint against federal prosecutors over their handling of his extortion case.
Prosecutors are reportedly still pursuing money Kilpatrick owes from a 2013 racketeering conviction. Although the disgraced politician was found guilty of conspiracy charges, he said prosecutors had themselves engaged in corruption by harassing his family.
In a federal court filing obtained by The Detroit News, Kilpatrick pushed for the release of a $13,000 freeze on accounts frozen by prosecutors to pay off his remaining $823,649 in restitution. However, Kilpatrick says the money doesn’t belong to him. Instead, the money is in an account at Pathfinder Consulting Firm LLC., where his wife, LaTicia, serves as the resident agent. The company also has a nearly 4,000-square-foot home in its name.
Despite his claims, prosecutors say the money and the house actually belong to Kilpatrick, making federal seizure possible. In the lawsuit, Kilpatrick denied these claims and further claimed that the money was not ready for the prosecution.
He also revealed that he and his wife had to take their children out of school due to federal pressure. He then pointed out that leaked documents would waste potential speaking engagements and put his financial situation even more at risk.
“The freezing of this account and the lack of access to my funds for nearly four months represents a travesty of justice,” Kilpatrick wrote. “Not only have we had to take our children out of school, the damaging effects of the leaked documents and conversations about sealed documents submitted to the court have also resulted in speaking invitations being declined.”
He called the prosecutor’s action a “malicious enforcement” to recover the money owed and further argued that his wife and her finances were not obligated to repay the restitution. He called the matter “blackmail-like” as prosecutors seek to freeze all assets linked to the former mayor.
“LaTicia is not subject to federal jurisdiction, has never committed a crime, and is not currently involved in any matter in any state or federal court,” he added. “It’s bullying at best, but it’s much more like blackmail.”
Kilpatrick struck a secret deal with the federal government to repay the stolen taxpayer money, an agreement that has since been made public as his legal battle continues.
RELATED CONTENT: Former Detroit mayor pardoned by Donald Trump supports Trump for president