BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is scheduled to speak at the Oakland County Republic Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner next week.
The annual event is happening on Aug. 21 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. Doors to the event are set to open at 5:30 p.m.
Dr. Ben Carson, a Detroit native, is also slated as a featured speaker. Carson served as secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development during former President Donald Trump’s presidency.
The dinner is a key fundraising event for the organization.
Kilpatrick served as Detroit’s mayor from 2002 to 2008.
Related video: President Trump commutes sentence for former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
He was sentenced in 2013 to two dozen counts of extortion, bribery, wire fraud, tax violations, racketeering and conspiracy related to corrupt conduct when he was mayor of Detroit and a state legislator. After serving seven years of a 28-year sentence in 2021, Trump commuted his sentence.
Kilpatrick was ordered to pay restitution and was issued court supervision.
Kilpatrick filed a motion in 2022 asking for the court supervision to be terminated early. He said he “is no longer a threat to the community, has been rehabilitated, has been compliant with the terms of supervision, and needs to be free to travel to pursue his career.”
Related video: Prosecutors say Kilpatrick’s motion for court supervision to end early should be denied
The motion was denied in 2023.
The Oakland County Republican Party says Kilpatrick’s speech will focus on repentance and redemption.
"Kwame Kilpatrick found his faith and relationship with God while incarcerated and had his sentence commuted by President Donald J. Trump. His speech will focus on his repentance and redemption, a message all would be well served to hear. The GOP is inclusive, not exclusive," Oakland County GOP Chairman Vance Patrick said in a statement.
This year marks the 132nd Lincoln Day Dinner. If you’re interested in attending the event, you can buy tickets on the Oakland County GOP’s website.
