There is nothing like a sex scandal to grab people’s attention. In January 2008, the Detroit Free Press published sexually graphic text messages exchanged by Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his then chief of staff Christine Beatty, both of whom had vehemently denied that they were having an extramarital affair. The published messages revealed that Kilpatrick and Beatty lied under oath in a whistleblowers’ lawsuit and that Kilpatrick agreed to settle the suit for $8.4 million to keep the affair quiet. These revelations led to criminal charges that forced Kilpatrick to resign as mayor, give up his law license, pay restitution, and ultimately serve jail and probation time.