LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was charged Wednesday with two counts of intentional misconduct arising from an investigation into the Flint water crisis, which left residents with water contaminated with lead and was blamed for a fatal outbreak. of the disease of the legionaries.
The charges, which are shown in an online court record, are punishable offenses with one year in prison and a $ 1,000 fine.
The indictment filed by the attorney general’s office is innovative: no governor or former governor in Michigan’s 184-year history had been charged with crimes related to his passage through that office, according to the state archivist. Snyder’s lawyer, Brian Lennon, said he could not comment immediately. State Attorney General Dana Nessel and investigators scheduled a press conference on Thursday.
In addition to Snyder, a Republican who served until 2019, charges are expected against other people, including former officials who served as state health director and as a senior adviser.
Flint had chronic financial problems in 2014 when a manager appointed by Snyder who ran most of the black city made a decision to save money to use the Flint River for water. while a regional oil pipeline on Lake Huron was under construction. However, corrosive water was not treated properly and released lead from old pipes into homes in one of the worst man-made environmental disasters in U.S. history.
Despite desperate requests from residents carrying jars of discolored and discolored water, the Snyder administration did not take any significant action until a doctor reported elevated lead levels in children about 18 months later.
“I’m sorry and I’ll fix it,” Snyder promised during his 2016 state of the state address.
Authorities counted at least 90 cases of legionnaires’ disease in Genesee County, including 12 deaths. Some experts found that there was not enough chlorine in the water treatment system to control legionella bacteria, which can trigger a severe form of pneumonia by spreading through nebulization and cooling systems.
The disaster made Flint a national symbol of government abandonment, with residents forced to line up to look for bottled water and parents feared their children had suffered permanent damage. Lead can damage the brain and nervous system and cause learning and behavior problems. The crisis stood out as an example of environmental injustice and racism.
More than 9,700 home service lines have been replaced. Flint’s water, which now comes from a Detroit regional agency, gets good grades, though many suspicious residents still use filters.
The criminal investigation has lasted five years under two teams of prosecutors. Todd Flood, who received convictions for missing seven people, was fired in 2019 after the election of Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel. Fadwa Hammoud later retired in eight pending cases and said the investigation would begin again. He said the first team had not been able to collect all the available evidence.
Separately, the state, Flint, a hospital and an engineering company have agreed a $ 641 million deal with residents for the water crisis, with $ 600 million coming from Michigan. A judge said he hopes to decide before Jan. 21 whether to grant preliminary approval. Other lawsuits, including one against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are pending.