Kilpatrick

DETROIT (AP):

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to a pair of felony obstruction charges yesterday in a sex-and-misconduct scandal and will step down after months of defiantly holding on to his job of leading the nation's 11th-largest city.

The plea deal brings to an end a seven-month-long sex scandal that led to felony charges against Kilpatrick and plunged the city, region and state into political chaos.

"I lied under oath," Kilpatrick said in court.

As part of the deal, the 38-year-old Democrat is to serve four months in jail, five years of probation and pay US$1 million in restitution over the probationary period. Payments from his state pension must be assigned to the city of Detroit towards the restitution. He also cannot run for any elected office for five years.