Officials from 4 firms say money given to Kilpatrick nonprofit - Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

Officials from 4 firms say money given to Kilpatrick nonprofit

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DETROIT -- They gave tens of thousands of dollars to the nonprofit Kilpatrick Civic Fund only to find out that the return on their investment was a trip to federal court.

Michael Nairn testified that his investment firm gave Kwame Kilpatrick's nonprofit $2,500, but after speaking with city treasurer Jeff Beasley, a Kilpatrick frat brother, they kicked in another $7,500.  In all, they gave $20,000.

Michael Hudson said his investment firm forked over $10,000.  Not long after, they got a city pension deal, but he didn't want to talk about any of that outside the courthouse.

In all, officials from four firms who did work for the pension fund testified that they gave money to the mayor's nonprofit.  

So where did all that loot go?  $3,000 went for Nike golf clubs and a golf bag emblazoned with "The Mayor" on the side.

Kilpatrick's attorney suggested that hizzoner may have used the golf clubs while conducing business.  He questioned who ordered the embroidery.

More than 9,500 from the civic fund went to crisis manager Judy Smith and her nonprofit.  Smith is the Washington-based expert Kilpatrick turned to for advice during the text message scandal.  She didn't do him any favors on the witness stand, though.  When Kilpatrick attorney Jim Thomas asked whether she did work for the Kilpatrick Civic Fund, her answer couldn't be clearer.  She said she worked for the mayor.

The donors we heard from Tuesday had two things in common.  They said they didn't know how the money would be used, and they said that if they knew, they would have held on to their money.

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