Six more state employees were charged in connection to the water crisis in Flint. Charges include misconduct, conspiracy to commit misconduct and willful neglect of duties.
Advertisement
Two state Department of Environmental Quality officials also were charged with misconduct, conspiracy, tampering with test results and misdemeanor violations of clean-water law and await preliminary examinations.
The charges refer to an 18-month period, from April 2014, when the city of Flint – under control of a state-appointed emergency manager – switched its water supply from Detroit’s municipal system to the Flint River while a new pipeline was being built. In one, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality engineer wrote to Flint water plant officials that partial drinking water samples showed the city to be above the “action level” for lead.
The Royal Oak attorney also declined to say whether he has interviewed Snyder or the governor’s former top aide, Dennis Muchmore, or issued subpoenas to either men to compel testimony under oath in a deposition.
MI officials say four public employees charged with crimes related to Flint’s lead-contaminated water crisis have been suspended without pay.
Three other officials ignored reports that the city’s water treatment plant was not in compliance with environmental regulations.
It’s the second round of Flint water-related charges that the Republican attorney general has brought. The two other state employees, Mike Brysby and Stephen Busch, have not had their hearings yet.
In a statement, Schuette said “The families of Flint will not be forgotten”. The three state employees allegedly withheld or disregarded blood tests showing high lead levels.
Shekter Smith’s lawyer, Brian Morley, told the Free Press that he learned of the charges in a phone call from investigators Friday morning.
As of today, Schuette has filed criminal charges against nine current and former state and local officials since the start of the investigation, which has included interviews with almost 180 witnesses. “We want whoever’s accountable to be held accountable, and this is just one more step”, he said after the announcement.
Schuette did not elaborate on possible charges for other local and state officials but said prosecutors “were going where the truth” takes them.
“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. Miller has left the MDHHS, Schuette said, while Peeler and Scott are still employed in the department.
“I’m really surprised to see criminal charges”, he said. “The result was water was poisoned and children have been exposed to extremely high levels of lead”. Federal authorities said last month it was safe for everyone in Flint to drink the tap water as long as it is filtered.
Advertisement
Patrick Cook: Facing charges of misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty. “If we do that and make significant policy changes, we can start to restore some trust in the system”.
