FLINT, Mich. (AP) – Former Michigan governor Rick Snyder, his health director and other former employees have been informed that they are being charged after a new investigation into the Flint water scandal, which devastated most of the black city. with lead. contaminated the water and was accused of a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, the Associated Press learns.
Two people with knowledge of the planned process told the AP on Tuesday that the attorney general’s office informed defense lawyers about the charges in Flint and told them to wait for the first court appearances soon. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, as they were not allowed to speak publicly.
The AP was unable to determine the nature of the charges against Snyder, former health department director Nick Lyon and others who were in his administration, including Rich Baird, a friend who was the governor’s primary problem solver during his term.
Courtney Covington Watkins, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said only that the investigators were “working diligently” and “will share more once we are in a position to do so”.
Snyder, a Republican who has been out of office for two years, was governor when state-appointed managers in Flint transferred city water to the Flint River in 2014 as a cost-saving measure, while a pipeline was being built for the Lake Huron. The water, however, was not treated to reduce corrosion – a disastrous decision affirmed by state regulators that caused lead to leach from old pipes and spoil the distribution system used by about 100,000 residents.
Snyder’s lawyer, Brian Lennon, issued a forceful statement on Tuesday, saying that a criminal case would be “outrageous”. He said state prosecutors had refused to “share information about these charges with us”.
“Instead of following the evidence to find out the truth, the Special Council Office appears to be targeting former Governor Snyder on a political escape,” said Lennon.
Snyder apologized for the catastrophe during his 2016 State of the State address and said the government at all levels had failed Flint.
LeeAnne Walters, a mother of four who was accused of exposing lead contamination, said she wanted details about the charges.
“The very fact that people are being held accountable is an incredible achievement,” said Walters. “But when people’s lives were lost and children were seriously injured, it doesn’t seem like enough.”
The disaster made Flint a national symbol of government mismanagement, with residents lining up for bottled water and parents fearing that their children had suffered permanent damage. Lead can damage the brain and nervous system and cause learning and behavior problems. The crisis was pointed out as an example of environmental injustice and racism.
At the same time, bacteria in the water were responsible for an outbreak of legionnaires. Legionella bacteria can appear through fogging and cooling systems, triggering a severe form of pneumonia, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Authorities accounted for at least 90 cases in Genesee County, including 12 deaths.
The outbreak was announced by Snyder and Lyon in January 2016, although Lyon admitted to knowing that cases were being reported many months earlier.
In 2018, Lyon was sentenced to stand trial on charges of manslaughter after a special prosecutor accused him of failing to inform the public in a timely manner of the outbreak. His lawyers argued that there was not enough solid information to share earlier.
In June 2019, the entire investigation of Flint’s water was turned upside down after over three years and millions of dollars. Prosecutors working for a new attorney general, Dana Nessel, dismissed the case against Lyon, as well as the charges against seven others, and said the investigation would start again.
The decision did not affect seven people who had previously claimed not to contest the misdemeanors. They cooperated with the investigators and their records were eventually cleaned up.
Lyon’s lawyer said he was refused when he asked prosecutors for a copy of the new charges. The new case “would be a caricature of justice,” said Chip Chamberlain.
Testimonies at court hearings raised questions about when Snyder learned of the Legionnaires’ outbreak. His adviser on urban affairs, Harvey Hollins, told a judge that the governor was informed on Christmas Eve 2015. But Snyder told reporters three weeks later, in January 2016, that he had just heard about it.
Defense attorney Randy Levine said he was informed on Monday that Baird, a native of Flint, would face charges. Another lawyer, Jamie White, said Flint’s former chief of public works, Howard Croft, is being charged.
“When Flint’s water crisis hit, he was not appointed by Governor Snyder to go to Flint, but he raised his hand and volunteered,” said Levine of Baird.
One resident, Edna Sabucco, 61, said she still uses water filters, although the lead in her home over 40 years ago was replaced, along with more than 9,700 others in Flint.
“He swept things under the rug, in my opinion, and for me that makes him as guilty as everyone else, because he should have been singing like a canary,” said Sabucco of Snyder.
Separately, the state, Flint, a hospital and an engineering company have agreed to a $ 641 million deal with residents because of the water crisis, with $ 600 million coming from Michigan. A judge is considering whether to grant preliminary approval.
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White reported from Detroit. Eggert reported from Lansing. John Flesher in Traverse City contributed to this story.
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