Defense lawyers for former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick asked the Wayne County Prosecutor to destroy thousands of text messages between himself and an aide, with whom he was having an affair, from the case that had not yet been released to the public, according to prosecutor Kym Worthy. This revelation comes a day after the former aide to Kilpatrick was sentenced to 120 days in jail for obstruction of justice. Christine Beatty and Kilpatrick lied under oath about their relationship during a 2007 civil suit. Beatty will also pay a $100,000 fine and will not be able to attend law school during her five year probation. (Detroit Free Press, Associated Press)
A report by the New York Times finds that a coal ash dump which ruptured in Tennessee in December is only one of 1,300 such dumps in the nation that are not subject to any regulation. Meanwhile, an engineer working with a federal regulator claims that the Tennessee Valley Authority ignored two leaks at the site of last month’s spill, warning signs that could have provided years of notice. Coal ash dumps are well known to contain high levels of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury. (New York Times, Associated Press)
The Bush administration has passed new midnight regulations to weaken environmental protections. The most recent rules allow industries not listed under the Clean Air Act to ignore “fugitive emissions,” usually counted towards emissions totals; greater use of an off-label antibiotic in animals that could diminish the drug’s efficacy in humans; and remove the Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf from the list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. (ProPublica)
Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick proposed new laws Tuesday to help stem the recent slew of ethics violations in the state. Patrick’s proposals include increased fines and prison time for severe encroachments. Massachusetts has had a rough time ethically in recent months, most notably exhibited by state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, who was caught on camera stuffing alleged bribe money into her bra– but as Patrick said, “No one can legislate morality.” (New York Times)
Hiram Monserrate is expected to take his New York state senate seat today, despite being under investigation for assault. New York authorities believe Monserrate may have cut a companion with a broken drinking glass during an argument in mid-December. Both Monserrate and his companion claim the injury was accidental. (New York Times)
Five former Blackwater contractors pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and gun charges related to a 2007 firefight that killed 17 Baghdad civilians. The men are faced with 14 counts of manslaughter, 20 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one count of using a machine gun to commit a crime of violence. (Associated Press)
