Kwame Kilpatrick Text Scandal Redux: This Time With A Venable Partner

So it appears that Detroit’s ex-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was carrying on other text-based affairs. His exchange of over 14,000 steamy, adulterous texts with his chief of staff made headlines last year. Now, it’s been revealed that he exchanged some inappropriate SMSes with another woman: Sheryl Robinson Wood
At the time, Wood was at Kroll, a New York-based risk assessment firm, and had been appointed to monitor Detroit’s Police Department reforms. Now, she’s a partner at Venable in the firm’s Baltimore office.
From the Detroit Free Press:

Saul Green, Detroit’s group executive of public safety, briefed the media after a closed meeting with Detroit City Council after shocking revelations that Sheryl Robinson Wood, who resigned as monitor last week, had a relationship with Kilpatrick.
Green said the Justice Department turned over text messages from fall of 2003 through January 2005 that show Kilpatrick and Wood met in Detroit, Washington and other cities.
“They showed contacts between the monitor and the former mayor that were inappropriate and also an exchange of information related to the litigation,” Green said. “It was a personal relationship in which they met, in which they went to dinner… not in an official time or context.”

There’s nothing better than a little litigation information exchange over drinks.
Wood resigned from the monitor position, but trouble looms for her. One tipster points out that a judge recently slammed the police department reforms as “grossly inadequate.” The monitoring of those grossly inadequate reforms cost Detroit over $13 million. Now the Justice Department is considering a criminal investigation of Sheryl Robinson Wood.


While monitor, Wood racked up some huge bills. She spent $189,000 monthly for herself, staff and overhead. Over six years, her bill was more than $13 million. And as mentioned earlier, the reforms were as disappointing as a weekend trip to Detroit.
From the Detroit Free Press:

[T]he judge overseeing Detroit Police Department reform efforts forced [Wood’s] ouster last week after being shown text messages that, the judge concluded, revealed Wood had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with Kilpatrick, even as she was monitoring the city’s compliance with police reforms.
Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning, a former federal prosecutor, said Wood could face an array of potential criminal and professional violations.
He said obstruction of justice, making false statements to the government and criminal contempt of court could be among issues the Justice Department is exploring.

The exact nature of Kilpatrick and Wood’s relationship is unclear at this point. Apparently, one of the inappropriate exchanges was Wood asking Kwame for Pistons tickets. Can you blame her? The Pistons did go all the way in 2004, after all.
Official: Texts show Kilpatrick, monitor met in various cities [Detroit Free Press]
Detroit police slow on reforms [Detroit Free Press]
Feds could go after ex-monitor of Detroit cops [Detroit Free Press]

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