Ex-Gov. Rick Snyder to be charged for Flint water crisis along with health director

(The Center Square) – Charges have been filed against former Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director Nick Lyon, and other ex-officials for their alleged roles in the Flint water crisis, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The story cited two anonymous sources.

Attorney General Dana Nessel’s spokeswoman Courtney Covington Watkins declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, but said they are “working diligently” and “will share more when in a position to do so.”

When health officials switched the city’s water supply to the Flint River in 2014 as a cost-saving measure, the water wasn’t treated for corrosion control. Lead and other contaminants leached into the drinking water, which supplied roughly 100,000 people.

The government failure rose to national news as the water switch is believed to have caused a Legionnaires outbreak that infected 91 people and killed 12 in the Flint area.

Lead poisoning can cause permanent physical and mental problems. Children are particularly susceptible.

Snyder and Lyon announced the outbreak in early 2016, although Lyon allegedly knew months earlier.

In 2018, Lyon was charged with involuntary manslaughter for failing to report the outbreak in a timely manner. Still, his attorneys argued there wasn’t enough information to share earlier with the public, the AP reported.

In 2019, prosecutors dropped all criminal charges, but promised to continue the probe. At that point, the Detroit News reported the state had spent $30.6 million on the investigation.

The attorney general’s team “has refused to share information about these charges with us, which is an indication that a public relations smear campaign is a higher priority than any official legal action,” according to a statement from Snyder’s attorney, Brian Lennon.

“It is outrageous to think that any criminal charges would be filed against Gov. Snyder,” Lennon added.

“Any charges would be meritless. Coming from an administration that claims to be above partisan politics, it is disappointing to see pure political motivation driving charging decisions,” Lennon said.

“The Office of Special Counsel clearly needs a scapegoat after wasting five years and tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on a fruitless investigation. Rather than following the evidence to find the truth, the Office of Special Counsel appears to be targeting former Gov. Snyder in a political escapade.”

The state reached a $641 million settlement in 2020 over the disaster.

AP reporter David Eggert tweeted there are pending charges against at least nine officials, resulting from a grand jury, and arraignments could occur as early as Thursday.

Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said he’s working on getting more information about the charges.

“While we do not yet know the full extent of the charges expected to be made, I have said from the beginning that justice requires even the most powerful be held accountable for what happened to the families of my city,” Ananich said in a statement.

“No person, no politician, is above the law. I have every expectation that our attorney general and her team is pursuing every legal avenue to deliver justice for Flint.”

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