In addition to his chief of staff Christine Beatty, Kwame Kilpatrick has been charged with eight felonies, including perjury, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice and misconduct in office. The perjury charge alone carries carries a maximum 15 years.

The Detroit Free Press provides some background:

[Wayne County Prosecutor Kym] Worthy's investigation began after the Free Press uncovered text messages that showed a romantic relationship between Kilpatrick and Beatty -- a relationship both had denied under oath during a police whistle-blower lawsuit last summer. The pair also gave misleading testimony about the firing of [police officer Gary] Brown, the messages show.

Kilpatrick authorized a settlement in that case to pay the former officers $8.4 million.

Despite the false testimony, a Wayne County Circuit Court jury last September awarded Brown and [police officer Harold] Nelthrope $6.5 million in damages. Kilpatrick vowed to appeal, but on Oct. 17, abruptly decided to settle the case and a second police whistle-blower suit involving former mayoral bodyguard Walt Harris for $8.4 million -- $9 million with legal costs.

Kilpatrick settled after the cops' lawyer, Mike Stefani, informed the mayor's lawyer that he had the incriminating text messages and would reveal them in court papers he planned to file to justify his request for legal fees in the whistle-blower case.

Although Kilpatrick apologized for his conduct in a televised appearance with his wife, Carlita, in late January, he has blamed the media for his troubles and rejected calls from the City Council, Attorney General Mike Cox and city union locals to resign.