The attorney that the Detroit City Council hired to help council lumber its way through the legal mess stemming from Text Gate that involves Kwame Kilpatrick and his ex-top aide, Christine Beatty outlines possible options for removing the mayor from office, but places the final decision squarely in laps of the council members.

The report that Attorney William Goodman's submitted was 35-pages and summarizes the ever-unfolding political drama that Detroiter’s and the nation have viewed from last summer's whistle-blowers' trial to the release of the embarrassing and sexually explicit text messages last January. Also included are references to the hearings aimed at revealing how Detroit’s City Council was misled in approving an $8.4 million settlement from that trial.

The special report accuses Mayor Kilpatrick of violating provisions of the City Charter that forbids the use of public office for private gain and settling city civil litigation without the express consent of the Council.

General Council, Sharon McPhail’s response to the report that William Goodman released was that it was a politically motivated witch hunt designed to propel the agenda of certain members of the council.

Mayor Kilpatrick, members of the city's Law Department and attorneys that the mayor hired have continually said that the mayor did nothing wrong in approving a confidentiality agreement that referenced the text messages as part of last year’s whistle-blowers' settlement.

The Council passed a nonbinding resolution in March asking Kilpatrick to resign. Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Kwame Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty with perjury serveral other charges. They face a preliminary examination this June.

Goodman's report doesn’t explicitly call for the Council to try to remove Kilpatrick from office, saying "such a proceeding would have to be done against the backdrop of pending criminal charges," but it does spell out several options.

Option One: The Council could start a forfeiture of office proceeding if it finds that the mayor has violated the City Charter. Mayor Kilpatrick would be entitled to due process, including a hearing, according to the report.

Option Two: Council members could ask Governor Jenniver Granholm to remove the mayor from office on the grounds of "official misconduct". The governor has stated that she wants to allow the legal action to proceed against Kilpatrick.

Option Three: Censure Kwame Kilpatrick and wait for a current criminal case to be decided in court.

The report also says little can be done to get back the $8.4 million paid out to three former police officers and their attorney in the whistle-blowers' settlement and recommends widespread changes in how the Law Department operates.