(FOIA) requesting that the city release all settlement-related documents. The FOIA lawsuit ordered Stefani to be deposed by the plaintiffs. He revealed in the deposition the existence of a confidentiality agreement signed by all parties to keep confidential intimate text messages sent between Kilpatrick and Beatty. The City of Detroit Law Department initially denied the existence of a "secret deal", but later fought unsuccessfully up to the Michigan Supreme Court to keep the documents sealed, on the grounds that they are private communications. The unsealed documents revealed the stratagem of Kilpatrick and the City of Detroit Law Department to hide a series of text messages that contradicted the sworn testimony of Kilpatrick and Beatty. These documents provided the basis for a criminal investigation against the pair. The secret deal called for Brown to forfeit $3 million, Nelthrope to forfeit $2 million and Harris to give up $400,000 if they ever revealed the information; Stefani would forfeit $2.6 million in legal fees if he or any of his employees ever divulged the existence of the text messages. An investigation by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy concluded with Kilpatrick and Beatty being charged with obstruction of justice, conspiracy, misconduct in office, and perjury. The City Council requested that Kilpatrick resign as mayor and that Governor Granholm use her authority to remove him from office due to his conduct in the trial. Granholm said the inquiry was like a trial and that her role would be "functioning in a manner similar to that of a judicial officer." Kilpatrick said he had paid back the $8.4 million through "hard work for the city" and dismissed any intentions of removing himself from office as "political rhetoric." Text-messaging scandal In January 2008, the Detroit Free Press revealed the existence of more than 14,000 text messages exchanged between Kilpatrick and Beatty on their city-issued Skytel pagers in late 2002 and early 2003. The dates are of importance because they encompass the time periods of the alleged Manoogian Mansion party and the ouster of Brown, respectively. The bulk of the text messages were released in late October 2008 by Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny, who instructed that some portions be redacted. The text messages were the nucleus of an $8.4 million secret deal settlement by the city of Detroit, which required the plaintiffs in the police whistleblower trial to keep the damaging text messages confidential. The attorneys for