LANSING, Mich. (AP) An apologetic Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was largely silent last year when criminal charges were brought against state officials over Flint's man-made drinking water crisis, except to say some "bureaucrats" had failed residents and that he was focused on the city's recovery.
Now, with two of his own cabinet members facing unprecedented manslaughter or other charges related to a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak that some experts have linked to the municipal water, a more defiant Snyder is keeping them on the job and publicly and privately defending their names despite calls for their removal. He referred to Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon as a "strong leader." He said Lyon and Chief Medical Executive Eden Wells have his "full faith and confidence" and have been instrumental in Flint's rehabilitation.
They are the highest-ranking officials to be charged in Attorney General Bill Schuette's investigation of the city's lead contamination. And unlike the other 10 state officials who were previously charged five environmental regulators, three health experts and two former emergency managers whom Snyder appointed to address the city's budget deficits they are closer to his immediate orbit and report directly to him.
While the new charges have fanned speculation that Snyder could be next, Schuette said there is insufficient evidence. He added that the probe will continue, even as the emphasis shifts to prosecuting those accused.
"There's no checklist on any crime or any person. We just go where the evidence takes us," said Schuette, whose special prosecutor, Todd Flood, has not issued a subpoena to interview Snyder.
Lyon and Eden are political appointees who serve at the pleasure of the governor.
Lyon is charged with involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office. Prosecutors allege that he waited nearly a year to alert the public and the governor about the Legionnaires' outbreak in Genesee County, causing the death of an 85-year-old man who allegedly contracted legionella bacteria at a Flint hospital that is on the city's municipal water. They also say he intentionally misled and withheld information from Snyder about the rash of 90 cases, including 12 deaths, in 2014 and 2015.
Wells is charged with obstructing justice and lying to investigators.
"The charges against them are based on unproven allegations and he believes people are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law," Snyder spokesman Ari Adler said.
The Republican governor has apologized for the state's role in the disaster and has said the "buck stops here with me."
Three years ago, Flint's fateful switch from the Detroit water system to a river to save money while under state management resulted in the water being improperly treated, enabling toxic lead that leached from aging service lines and household fixtures to poison children. Some experts have linked the poorly treated water to Legionnaires' disease, a type of pneumonia. People can get sick if they inhale mist or vapor, typically from cooling systems.
In December 2015, Snyder accepted the resignation of another cabinet member over the Flint disaster, Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant, who has not been charged. Six of the state employees facing charges are suspended with pay. Snyder announced the firing of Michigan's drinking water chief in February 2016. The state's top epidemiologist retired and later pleaded no contest as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Democratic legislative leaders said they were disappointed with Snyder's defense of Lyon and Wells.
"His comments erode trust in government," said Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, of Flint.
House Minority Leader Sam Singh said the probe is serious enough that all of those under investigation should at least be given a leave of absence.
But others applauded Snyder's stance, saying he must fight back against a Republican attorney general who some suspect is using the high-profile investigation for political gain in 2018, when he is expected to run for governor as Snyder faces term limits.
"I think the governor made a very brave stand," said John Truscott, a friend of Lyon's and a former long-time aide to Republican Gov. John Engler.
Wells and Lyon received an emotional standing ovation from Snyder and senior staff during an impromptu lunch scheduled after the charges were announced, according to one of Snyder's advisers.
Truscott called the charges "bogus and completely trumped-up" and said Lyon is a prominent target whose prosecution assures continued "headlines" for Schuette. He faulted Schuette for saying Lyon and Wells should resign, calling the suggestion and other public comments he and other authorities have made during the investigation "very prejudicial."
"It's either an extremely poorly executed investigation or it's a political," Truscott said.
Wells' attorney, Jerry Lax, said "it's entirely appropriate" for Wells to continue on the job.
"She's a competent professional and is dedicated to carrying out those professional responsibilities," he said.
Schuette denied that his actions were politically motivated, saying he knows that some people are angry he has not charged the governor and that others think he has been too harsh on Snyder's administration.
"Children have been exposed to lead and numerous people died of Legionnaires' disease. Are we just supposed to forget about that? That's outrageous," Schuette told The Associated Press. "That is just smug arrogance. Blaming it on nameless, faceless bureaucrats (and saying), 'It's inconveniencing me and let's go on.' That cannot happen. Justice needs to be that those who violated the law are held accountable."
What a grossly disappointing report...Good health & well-wishes to the affected citizens.
At least on the positive side, president Trump finally gets to dodge a bullet, though this particular mess wounds the Republican Party I'd say none-the-less.
I wonder if the President would consider replacing everyone's lead-lined plumbing-pipes around the country, for their health, safety & display of proper-thoughtfull-management, rather than "Building that wall" ?....
I know which choice would help Americans become healthy again, if not the country"great" lol....
Ciao,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Everyone knows it was Flint's longtime Democrat rule that brought about Flint's money problems! H3ll, in the last election the mayor himself was on a tether and the people were so fed up they ran a candidate named "Giggles the pig", who obviously, was a pig. Not even a joke, and this was BEFORE the Flint water crisis that saw the Democrats stiff the Detroit Water Department, and create the mess to start with... Then again Detroit was just out of bankruptcy itself, and let's be honest... Obama was too busy giving money away to other countries to bail out Flint or Detroit, h3ll, Obama himself said that if he were in charge he would just bulldoze all of Flint.... But that kind of talk from a black man doesn't elicit the same reaction when it's done in Detroit by a white guy... No... Then of course they call it carpet bagging or gentrification.
What did Democrat Governor Granholm do to address or resolve the issue? Nothing? Well guess that's about the same as all the Democrats before and after her.
Drip-Drip-Drip is the sound the Democrat party makes as it's on life support! Always politicizing something serious as lead poisoning in kids! You fu@kers been running the show in Flint since before I was even born, and they didn't do jack $HIT! At least Republicans are doing SOMETHING to fix the problem, that's a h3ll of a lot more than the people of Flint ever got before, which was NOTHING!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Now that was another classic from our administrator, awesome LOL !!!
But shouldn't Mr.Trump be focusing his energy on making America's water-supply-pipeline toxin-free for its people, rather than laying down oil-pipeline across the country to make the extraordinarily rich minority wealthier ?...
The end result of Mr.Trumps policy so far, has been to make himself wealthier, & regular Americans poorer...
I'd be protesting everyday about this situation, & the SOB manipulating the countries enterprises for his own financial gains.
A sad time for all Americans & people of the West around the world.
Ciao,
Rastus
-- Edited by Rastus on Thursday 22nd of June 2017 10:02:15 PM
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
You talking about Obama who just bought a $5 million dollar home to live in for two years?
Fools...
LOL !!!
No...We're discussing how Mr.Trump would rather see Canada's crude delivered safely to the Deep South, as opposed to lead & toxin free water-pipes delivering apparently clean, fresh water ( if a little radio-active ) to the US-of-A population...
How the heck are the "Flint Michigan Tropics" going to land 4th-place, if the team is hospital stricken from lead-poisoning ?......
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
