Mayor to be represented by attorneys

DETROIT, May 22 (UPI) -- Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has appointed attorneys to respond to Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm's review of whether he should be ousted.

The mayor will be represented by city's General Counsel Sharon McPhail and local attorney James Thomas, The Detroit News reported Thursday.

The City Council is seeking to remove Kilpatrick, claiming he violated the city charter by crafting an $8.4 million settlement of a police whistle-blower suit to keep secret text messages allegedly exchanged between him and his former chief of staff. The existence of the text messages contradicted the testimony of the mayor and his former aide during a civil case last year.

Granholm sent a one-page letter to Kilpatrick and the council Wednesday saying that although Michigan law allows governors power to oust public officials, the process must be done "in a manner that affords due process."

The governor asked the mayor and the council to appoint representatives to speak for them "quickly, as soon as today, if possible."

Thomas is representing Kilpatrick personally in his criminal case and is being paid by the mayor. McPhail is a city employee whose salary is paid by taxpayers.