The Michigan Attorney General's Office Thursday announced criminal charges for eight former state officials, including the state's former Gov. Rick Snyder, along with one current official, for their alleged roles in the Flint water crisis.
Together the group face 42 counts related to the drinking water catastrophe roughly seven years ago. The crimes range from perjury to misconduct in office to involuntary manslaughter.
The drinking water debacle is linked to at least 12 deaths and at least 80 people sickened with Legionnaires' disease after untreated water from the Flint River caused lead to leach from old pipes, poisoning the majority Black city's water system.
Snyder, a Republican who left office two years ago, is facing two counts of willful neglect, both misdemeanors which each carry a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine up to $1,000.
The attorney general's announcement cites other charges as follows:
Jarrod Agen – Former Director of Communications and Former Chief of Staff, Executive Office of Gov. Rick Snyder
Gerald Ambrose – Former City of Flint Emergency Manager
Richard Baird – Former Transformation Manager and Senior Adviser, Executive Office of Gov. Snyder
Howard Croft – Former Director of the City of Flint Department of Public Works
Darnell Earley – Former City of Flint Emergency Manager
Nicolas Lyon – Former Director, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Nancy Peeler– Current Early Childhood Health Section Manager, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Eden Wells – Former Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Prosecutors said all of the defendants turned themselves into the Genesee County, Mich., jail and were processed.
At the media briefing announcing the charges, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the investigation included pouring over "literally millions and millions of documents and several electronic devices." She added it also involved dozens of search warrants and countless hours worked by investigators during the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Our work on this case begins with the understanding that the impact of the Flint water crisis cases and what happened in Flint will span generations and probably well beyond," she said.
Worthy, a Democrat, also sought to push back on questions whether the criminal charges brought by current Michigan officials were influenced by politics.
"This case has nothing whatsoever to do with partisanship," Worthy said. "It has to do with human decency, resurrecting the complete abandonment of the people of Flint and finally, finally holding people accountable for their alleged unspeakable atrocities that occurred in Flint all these years ago."
Earlier this week, as reports began to surface that charges were looming, an attorney for Snyder, the former governor, referred to them as "a politically motivated smear campaign," according to the Detroit Free Press.
The Free Pressalso reported Snyder entered a not guilty plea Thursday morning from a Genesee County jail booth as he and his lawyer appeared remotely via Zoom. The paper also notes its the first time in the state's history that a current or former governor is facing criminal charges for alleged misconduct while in office.
Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud said Thursday that even though charges have been filed, the investigation into the crisis remains open, Michigan Public Radio reports.
Speaking at the media briefing, Hammoud characterized the crisis as a "categorical failure of public officials" at all levels.
"When an entire city is victimized by the negligence and indifference of those in power, it deserves an uncompromising investigation that holds to account anyone who is criminally culpable," Hammoud said.
Snyder and Croft, the former director of the Flint Department of Public Works, are scheduled to be back in court Jan. 19.
The next court appearance for the other defendants is Feb. 18, according to Michigan Attorney General's office.
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