Lt. Gov. Brian Calley wasn’t entirely displeased with the way MI was portrayed at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, but he took significant issue with the implication that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was a catalyst for change in Flint.
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The people come from two different departments: The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
On Friday authorities charged another six current and former state employees for covering up evidence of water contamination. The state has also filed a civil suit against two companies that allegedly knew about the poisoned water and failed to act. Schuette was scheduled to hold a news conference on Friday about the charges.
Until now, three state workers had been criminally charged over the health crisis, which occurred in the aftermath of government officials’ cost-saving effort in 2014 to switch the city’s source of drinking water.
“In essence, these individuals concealed the truth. Well, they do count”.
Misconduct in office applies to three employees from the Department of Environmental Quality and three from the state Department of Health and Human Services.
One of the more notorious of those charged yesterday was Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s (MDEQ) former Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance Division chief Liane Shekter Smith, who was sacked in February.
“… Rosenthal was warned by Flint Water Treatment Plant officials that they were not ready for operations and was later warned by the EA that high levels of lead is usually due to particulate lead, signaling a corrosion problem”. Miller has since left the department.
“Scott and Peeler conspired together and with others known and unknown to effectively bury Larder’s report warranting further investigation”, Seipenko said Friday morning in court. Rosenthal is charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy to tamper with evidence or engage in misconduct in office, and tampering with evidence as a public officer engaged in a willful neglect of his duty. Despite notice of citizen complaints about water quality and knowledge of a Legionnaires outbreak and issues with lead levels, Schuette claims Shekter-Smith, not only failed to take corrective action or notify public health officials, but also allegedly took steps to mislead and hide evidence from health officials. She was sacked from her position in February, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“The latest results are especially encouraging given the high temperatures during the testing period, which can increase the amount of lead that could potentially leach into the water”, officials said. Cook is charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy to engage in misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty.
Schuette said Shekter-Smith is no longer with the Department of Environmental Quality, but Cook and Rosenthal still work in the drinking water section of the DEQ.
In March, a state task force that investigated the Flint crisis concluded that it was a “case of environmental injustice”.
Mike Glasgow, the Flint utilities director, struck a deal in May with prosecutors, offering cooperation in exchange for a reduction in charges as lead contamination investigations rolled on. The two other people charged Friday had either already retired or been fired.
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Schuette and Andy Arena, the lead investigator who once led Detroit’s FBI office, say nobody is off-limits from investigation or prosecution.
