Detroit Riverfront Conservancy sues ex-CFO; Michigan Dem delegates commit to Harris; more

Good morning, it's Thursday.

⛅ The high will be 79 degrees today and it'll be partly sunny. After rain and flooding the last couple of days, we're finally getting to see a stretch of nice weather.

🎧 Prefer to listen to the news? Here are today's top stories .

Detroit Riverfront Conservancy sues ex-CFO

William Smith, the former CFO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, isn't having the best week, to say the least. On Tuesday, a judge granted him an allowance of just under $3,500 a month — which he believed wasn't enough. On Wednesday, the nonprofit filed a civil suit against Smith , his family members and his friend, which may be a step towards recovering the alleged $40 million he is accused of embezzling.

The conservancy claims Smith's wife, sister, mother and best friend — who served as the best man in his wedding — all benefited from the stolen funds. The lawsuit also details how Smith was able to pull the alleged embezzlement off, accusing him of keeping two sets of books and transferring nearly $20 million between different accounts over the course of approximately seven years.

Read more from Violet Ikonomova and Christine MacDonald.

Also worth reading

🗳️ Politics: The Democratic Michigan delegates that have already been pledged to President Joe Biden voted to recommit to Vice President Kamala Harris Tuesday night , following a number of Democratic state delegations that have done the same after Biden dropped out of the race. Also, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a $59.1 billion state budget Wednesday morning , which includes lots of support for Detroit initiatives.

🏈 Football: Although the Detroit Lions' success last season is hard to forget, head coach Dan Campbell's message for the team was to do it anyway . "It's all about the work. We don't live off reputation," he said yesterday. Check out the observations from the first day of the team's 2024 training camp .

💨 Weather: In the next couple of days, smoke from Canadian wildfires could make its way to Detroit again. But don't be too scared — experts say the current conditions mean it won't be nearly as bad as it was last year.

🚗 Autos: Ford reported a drop in its second-quarter net income , which it attributed to increased warranty expenses and new vehicle launches. This reports comes as the company continues to lose money on electric vehicles.

Here's your opportunity to get unlimited digital access to all we have to offer. We are grateful for your support of local journalism.

Obituaries | Podcasts

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy sues ex-CFO; Michigan Dem delegates commit to Harris; more