Authorities in the USA state of MI filed criminal charges Friday against six current and former state officials over lead water contamination in the city of Flint, signaling that their probe is expanding.
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He says they “attempted to bury or cover up, downplay or hide information that contradicted their own narrative”.
“In essence, these individuals concealed the truth. They were criminally wrong to do so”, he continued. The charges, which include willful neglect and misconduct in office, are against three current or former employees of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and three from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Within the Department of Environmental Quality, Schuette said that Cook and Rosenthal ignored reports that Flint’s 100-year-old drinking plant was not in compliance with lead and copper rules.
The sole state employee fired so far over the Flint Water Crisis has been Liane Shekter Smith, who was the chief of Michigan’s Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance. Flint switched back to Detroit’s system for its water last fall, but the problem persisted. Residents nearly immediately began to complain about brown, foul-smelling water and health issues.
In July of 2015, Nancy Peeler, Director of the MDHHS Program for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting, requested an internal report on blood lead level data in Flint children.
Environmental officials have admitted that they failed to require needed corrosion control chemicals in the water, which could have prevented the lead problem. An estimated 8,000 children could have been exposed to lead, which can cause severe developmental issues. Perry III authorized the charges Friday.
Schuette’s investigative team highlighted e-mails and interviews with more than 180 people including employees in the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the state Department of Health and Human Services as evidence of the crimes. Schuette’s investigation remains ongoing and the charges filed today do not preclude additional charges at a later date.
Some critics have called for high-ranking state officials, including Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, to be charged. At that time, he promised more criminal charges would be forthcoming.
“I hope justice be served and come down swiftly to them because what has happened has devastated this community”, said Quincy Murphy, community activist.
And Andrew Arena, lead investigator in the case and former head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Detroit, added: “You don’t start at the top. The higher up people are, the less you’ll find their fingerprints on the decisions”, he said.
“I think the mayor’s position is she wants whoever is responsible to be held accountable”, Branch said. What happens all day?
The accusations mark the third round of charges related to the investigation into the Flint watercrisis.
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Schuette and Andy Arena, the lead investigator who once led Detroits FBI office, say nobody is off-limits from investigation or prosecution.
